Tithing! One of the most dangerous, yet legitimate,
topics any preacher can tackle in front of their congregation. Now, there are many Christians who do not
believe that tithing is scriptural.
There are some who believe we should tithe, but that ten percent is not
required. And there are some who believe
we should not only tithe ten percent, but even more.
Did you know
how we handle money reveals a great deal about the depth of our commitment to Christ?
There’s an old saying that goes like
this, “Show me a man’s checkbook, and I’ll show you where his priorities are.” That’s why Jesus often talked about money. Money mattered then, just as much as it
matters today. Unfortunately, it matters
too much for some of us.
Did you know
that nationally, only 20% of those who belong to a church claim to tithe? Most churches nowadays begin to struggle
financially long before the end of the year because so few of us tithe anymore.
Some
believers argue that the whole notion of tithing is an Old Testament practice,
largely from Mosaic Law, and does not apply to any of us who live under grace.
They seem to forget that it was Jesus who said, “Do not think that I have come
to abolish the Law or the Prophets, I have not come to abolish them but to
fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the
smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will be any means disappear
until everything is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:17-18)
He also
said, “...Give back to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is
God's..." (Mark 12:17)
The fact is
both the Old and New Testaments speak often about money and giving generously,
although the New Testament does not specifically appear to require a “tithe.” The problem is that we get so bogged down in
the legalism of tithing that we miss the whole point. Tithing is not something
that we have to do, but the born-again Christian should want to tithe.
One of my favorite
stories is about how Alice and I became tithers shortly after we totally
committed our lives to Christ. I felt
God calling for us to tithe as a family. I had been reading my Bible when I seemed to
continually come across scripture that talked about giving back to God a
portion of what is His. Having been a
believer for just a bit longer than my wife, and having grown up in a family of
committed, consistent tithers, I cautiously approached Alice about wanting to
begin tithing from our income. “Tithe!”
she said. “We can barely cover our bills
each month.” Ultimately, she agreed to
sit down together and begin looking at what the Word of God had to say about
this topic.
Some of the
verses that jumped out at us were, "Each of you
must bring a gift in proportion to the way the LORD your God has blessed
you." (Deut 16:17), "For if the willingness is there, the gift is
acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not
have." (2 Corinthians 8:12)
And
finally, Malachi 3:10 which says, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse,
that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the LORD Almighty,
and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much
blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”
Malachi
really clinched it for us. Here was God
telling us to go ahead and “test Him” in this and see what He will do. So, if we were sincere about our faith in Christ, and our
willingness to trust Him with our lives, then tithing was an important part of
that commitment. Alice and I agreed to
begin tithing and give it six months. If
we didn’t have enough money to cover the bills, then we would discontinue.
Well, that
was over 20 years ago, and we are still tithing. I can’t say God made us rich for being
faithful, nor was there a great deal of excess money floating around to fulfill
our desires. I can say, God has never
let us down, and He has always supplied our needs no matter how much. Sometimes it was at the last moment the funds
arrived, but they always arrived. In
this day and age where there is a decided lack of integrity, many people
suspect we may be stretching the truth when we make these claims, but our
testimony today is one backed up by a God who owns the cattle on a thousand
hills, and “Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful
God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love
him and keep his commands.” (Deuteronomy 7:9)
We need to
remember that God is not as concerned about the money as He is about our hearts
when it comes to tithing. He’s much more
interested in our attitude towards tithing than how much we put in the plate. Sure He expects us to tithe, because tithing
is also worship, and an outward and visible sign of our acknowledgment that it
really all belongs to Him. Frankly, the whole purpose of tithing is to teach us
that God wants to enjoy first priority in our lives.
Paul also
states that tithing entails more than just money, it also includes all we are
and do, when he said, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and
sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” (Romans 12:1)
Most
importantly, the Lord expects nothing less than our best from us when it comes
to tithing, and He wants us to do so with an attitude of joy.
“Each
man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or
under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7)
Can God change
your life?
God has made it
possible for you to know Him, and experience an amazing
change in your own life.
change in your own life.
Discover how you
can find peace with God.
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