Am I saying, "Thou shalt not tithe?" By no means. But understand this-it is not required and no-one should teach, require or enforce such a practice or belief. The Biblical teaching on giving is, as usual, very simple and very much a matter of the heart's attitude:
1. Give willingly. "God loves a cheerful giver" is a basic truth (2 Cor 9:7, also 8:12-and see item 3 below): this shows that you have the right attitude about God, His blessings to you, and about your fellow humans.
2. Give regularly. Plan to make giving a habit and part of your budget.
3. Give proportionately. "For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have" (2 Cor 8:12 NIV, italics mine).
Someone who makes barely enough to live on and gives $5 a week, with a joyful spirit, is giving far more than someone who makes $1,200 a week and gives $100 just for the sake of "throwing something in the plate". If you have a hard choice between feeding your children or putting that money in the donation plate, by all means, feed your kids. BUT-- do some serious thinking and praying about adjusting your life-style, if possible, so you're not wasting money on worldly things. In other words-- make the wisest use of all God has provided (a principle called 'stewardship'), Then you can share and still have enough to live within your means.
4. Give generously. Jesus said (and He wasn't talking just about money)-- "For With the measure you use, it will be measured to you."(Luke 6:38 NIV). In Proverbs, 11:24 we read: "One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty" (NIV). An often-cited example is the Dead Sea. It's dead because the river Jordan flows in at one end but nothing flows out. Put another way-- you need to be a channel for blessing to flow through. As God blesses you, so bless others. It all belongs to Him anyway and you should want to share His blessings with others. This can apply to any blessings, not just money.
5. Don't "give to get". Regardless of what some TV and other preachers say, God does not bless you just because you pump money into some cause or organization. Your attitude should be to give with a joyous heart motivated by genuine compassion and/or generosity and leave the rest to God (remember the widow's 2 cents?). If you seek to live for Him in all ways, everything else falls into place (Matt 6:33).
As Solomon would say: "Here is the conclusion of the matter" (Eccl 12:13b NIV):
* If you know that God is urging you to tithe, then follow Him and do it; then go the extra mile and add a gift on top of that if at all possible. Tithing is great, it's just the notion that it's required of Christians living under grace that is error.
* Get your priorities in order! You want to put $20 a week (or whatever) in the offering but don't know how you can afford it. Can you take your lunch to work instead of buying it? You can make sandwiches for a few days for the cost of one sandwich at the delicatessen. Do you need all those magazines, newspapers or junky snacks? Or one of the worst wastes-- can you cut out some services on your cable or satellite TV and go with something more basic? (How about eliminating TV altogether-your soul, mind, family and wallet will all be healthier and happier for it). Bottom line-if you want to honor God by giving, you will find the means and He will bless your efforts to do so.
If you find yourself in a church home where tithing is preached as a requirement, or they make you sign pledge cards or otherwise enforce giving--find a new church; they are violating scripture and may be teaching other doctrinal errors as well.
My personal opinion, however cynical it may appear, is that the ones who perpetuate the tithing myth are the ones who stand to gain the most from it. I have been clearly led by the Holy Spirit to give specific amounts at specific times and I did. Was I blessed? You bet your eternal soul I was! The question is one of attitude, (and in many cases, obedience) as usual. I like to give-- donations of money, time, goods, etc. I've still received more blessing than what I've given. You can never outgive God.
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I agree with you 99%. Second Corinthians 8:12-15 is also a favorite text of mine. NT giving is primarily sacrificial. That means more than 10% for many and less for others.
ReplyDeleteTithing cannot be required because nobody can legitimately tithe today. Please join me and take a stand against even using the word falsely.
True biblical tithes were always only food from inside Israel as an Old Covenant statute. Although money was common even in Genesis and essential for sanctuary worship, money was never included in 16 texts which describe the contents of the tithe.
If you find yourself in a church home where tithing is preached as a requirement, or they make you sign pledge cards or otherwise enforce giving--seriously consider finding a new church; they are violating scripture and may be teaching other doctrinal errors as well.
VERY VERY GOOD:
My personal opinion, however cynical it may appear, is that the ones who perpetuate the tithing myth are the ones who stand to gain the most from it. I have been clearly led by the Holy Spirit to give specific amounts at specific times and I did. Was I blessed? You bet your eternal soul I was! The question is one of attitude, (and in my case, obedience) as usual. I like to give-- donations of money, time, goods, etc. I've still received more blessing than what I've given. You can never outgive God.
Russell Earl Kelly
www.tithing-russkelly.com