Tithing
I've been pondering tithing for some time now. I think we all go through life needing to question the reason why we do things.
This started a couple of years ago when I heard someone speak/teach regarding it (not our pastor). At the time Mark was doing the bills and would tithe when he had the money to do so. However, it wasn't faithfully. I went home and confronted him on this...more like challenged him on this. (not a good idea) I said things like..."when you don't tithe, you not only affect you. You affect our whole family". I had a hefty dose of condemnation from that message, whether intended or not. And I laid it on heavy to my husband.
Some time later, he said something that really struck home to me. He said, "I tithe for the amount of faith I have." It wasn't that he didn't want to tithe more, he just didn't have the faith for it.
Then I was discussing tithing with a friend. She commented how she was concerned that I was driven to tithe out of guilt and condemnation, not out of a cheerful, giving, generous heart. That really hit home also.
After I took over the managing of our finances, I got really bitter. Not just the sermon I heard, but at all the other sermon's I had heard over the years. This tithing thing was never meant to be laced with guilt and condemnation. God doesn't need my money and I only gave as I felt inclined to give. And God gave me grace for this (2 Corinthians 9:6).
So many questions...what does the bible say about tithing? Why do Christians tithe?
Some things I've learned...
Tithing is mentioned primarily in the Old Testament as one of the laws that God gave the children of Israel. It's mentioned as giving of the firstfruits. Deut. 26. It is to feed the Levites (who served as priests before the LORD), the aliens, the fatherless and the widows. It is even called "the sacred portion". And with it God gives promises of blessing.
It's also mentioned before Moses, with Abraham giving of his first fruits.
Proverbs speaks a couple of times about it, and then the most common passage is in Malachi 3. Where God tells the people that they are robbing Him by not giving of their firstfruits and because of this they are under a curse.
It's also mentioned a couple of times in the New Testament by Jesus. In Luke 11:42 Jesus says, "Woe to you Pharisees, because you give to God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone."
So, tithing and showing God's love are to go hand in hand.
When I ask people who have been raised similar to I have (in the church) tithing is typically spoken of something that Christians do because the bible tells us to.
But what should our motivation be behind tithing? The bible says that God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:6 "He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give and not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."
I was listening to Dave Ramsey speak about giving. He too had the same questions about needing to know why, with regards to tithing. I loved his take on the whole thing. In a nutshell, God created us in HIS image. Part of the greatness of God is that He is a giver. He loves to give. From the O.T. to the N.T. you see his longing for His people to honor him so that He can pour out his blessing on them. But more than that, He also gave His firstfruits. He gave Jesus, to be our Savior.
So, for us to be Christ like, we have the opportunity to give sacrificially of our firstfruits. Making us more and more like our Heavenly Father as we are created in His image.
Another good point is we give because this isn't our money. God is the giver of all that we have. He asks that with the money He gives us, that we give a .10th of it away to others. As keepers of this money, He says not to worry about it cuz He's got it covered. No big deal right? We shouldn't have this emotional attachment to this money...it wasn't ours in the first place! So hard to keep this one in perspective.
What I didn't realize until recently is that giving is doing spiritual battle against the enemy. Malachi 3 says that we are under a curse if we don't give. It also states in the KJV (King James Version) that God will rebuke the devourer. (It's not that specific in the NIV). WOW! God is protecting us from the devourer when we give. How awesome is that?
Finally, I've come full circle. I'm now at a place were I can't wait to tithe next month as an act of worship and love to this great God of mine who gave all that He had for me.
Some verses to ponder...
Proverbs 11:25"The generous prosper and are satisfied; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed!"
Proverbs 3:9 "Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What I failed to add... Seeing God as the ultimate giver is what freed me from this guilt and condemnation. I no longer give because I feel man's pressure to give. I give because HE first gave to me, and I find great joy in giving back to him and watching what he does with my insignificant monthly budget. However, I don't believe that this is an area that all must adhere to, because we no longer live by the OT law. As 2nd Corinthians 9:6 says, "each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give" and that "God loves a cheerful giver".
This started a couple of years ago when I heard someone speak/teach regarding it (not our pastor). At the time Mark was doing the bills and would tithe when he had the money to do so. However, it wasn't faithfully. I went home and confronted him on this...more like challenged him on this. (not a good idea) I said things like..."when you don't tithe, you not only affect you. You affect our whole family". I had a hefty dose of condemnation from that message, whether intended or not. And I laid it on heavy to my husband.
Some time later, he said something that really struck home to me. He said, "I tithe for the amount of faith I have." It wasn't that he didn't want to tithe more, he just didn't have the faith for it.
Then I was discussing tithing with a friend. She commented how she was concerned that I was driven to tithe out of guilt and condemnation, not out of a cheerful, giving, generous heart. That really hit home also.
After I took over the managing of our finances, I got really bitter. Not just the sermon I heard, but at all the other sermon's I had heard over the years. This tithing thing was never meant to be laced with guilt and condemnation. God doesn't need my money and I only gave as I felt inclined to give. And God gave me grace for this (2 Corinthians 9:6).
So many questions...what does the bible say about tithing? Why do Christians tithe?
Some things I've learned...
Tithing is mentioned primarily in the Old Testament as one of the laws that God gave the children of Israel. It's mentioned as giving of the firstfruits. Deut. 26. It is to feed the Levites (who served as priests before the LORD), the aliens, the fatherless and the widows. It is even called "the sacred portion". And with it God gives promises of blessing.
It's also mentioned before Moses, with Abraham giving of his first fruits.
Proverbs speaks a couple of times about it, and then the most common passage is in Malachi 3. Where God tells the people that they are robbing Him by not giving of their firstfruits and because of this they are under a curse.
It's also mentioned a couple of times in the New Testament by Jesus. In Luke 11:42 Jesus says, "Woe to you Pharisees, because you give to God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone."
So, tithing and showing God's love are to go hand in hand.
When I ask people who have been raised similar to I have (in the church) tithing is typically spoken of something that Christians do because the bible tells us to.
But what should our motivation be behind tithing? The bible says that God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:6 "He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give and not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."
I was listening to Dave Ramsey speak about giving. He too had the same questions about needing to know why, with regards to tithing. I loved his take on the whole thing. In a nutshell, God created us in HIS image. Part of the greatness of God is that He is a giver. He loves to give. From the O.T. to the N.T. you see his longing for His people to honor him so that He can pour out his blessing on them. But more than that, He also gave His firstfruits. He gave Jesus, to be our Savior.
So, for us to be Christ like, we have the opportunity to give sacrificially of our firstfruits. Making us more and more like our Heavenly Father as we are created in His image.
Another good point is we give because this isn't our money. God is the giver of all that we have. He asks that with the money He gives us, that we give a .10th of it away to others. As keepers of this money, He says not to worry about it cuz He's got it covered. No big deal right? We shouldn't have this emotional attachment to this money...it wasn't ours in the first place! So hard to keep this one in perspective.
What I didn't realize until recently is that giving is doing spiritual battle against the enemy. Malachi 3 says that we are under a curse if we don't give. It also states in the KJV (King James Version) that God will rebuke the devourer. (It's not that specific in the NIV). WOW! God is protecting us from the devourer when we give. How awesome is that?
Finally, I've come full circle. I'm now at a place were I can't wait to tithe next month as an act of worship and love to this great God of mine who gave all that He had for me.
Some verses to ponder...
Proverbs 11:25"The generous prosper and are satisfied; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed!"
Proverbs 3:9 "Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What I failed to add... Seeing God as the ultimate giver is what freed me from this guilt and condemnation. I no longer give because I feel man's pressure to give. I give because HE first gave to me, and I find great joy in giving back to him and watching what he does with my insignificant monthly budget. However, I don't believe that this is an area that all must adhere to, because we no longer live by the OT law. As 2nd Corinthians 9:6 says, "each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give" and that "God loves a cheerful giver".
That's great Dawn...Tithing is a big part of our church too and I know it is not always easy, but I have gained a testimony of the blessings we receive from it as well as those who are helped from it. Nice post, I liked it.
ReplyDelete