One of the common dilemmas of a Christian is whether to tithe or not. For those who are doing well financially, this won't be a problem at all. But what if you're struggling to make ends meet, will you still give a portion of whatever is left of your money to God? Today, let's learn more about Christian tithing and answer some of the questions you may have.
What is a tithe?
A tithe is defined as a tenth (or 10 percent) of one's earnings and giving it to the church, as an act of worship to God.
In the Old Testament, the Bible described that Ancient Israel used the tithing system to support its religious, political, and economic systems. All the 12 tribes in Israel took part in this tithing system, except the tribe of Levi who benefited from the tithe. The 11 tribes would give 10 percent of all cattle, flocks, and produce to the Levites, while the Levites provided a tenth of that tithe to the priests as a show of support. Further, it was also used to help the fatherless, widows and foreigners.
This was evident in Deuteronomy 26:12. The verse goes:
When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.
God Wants Generosity
As you can see, one of the facets of tithing was to help the less fortunate - the principle of generosity - which God wants to engrave in our hearts.
Deuteronomy 15:7-8 says:
If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the LORDyour God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need.
He also made it clear in Matthew 5:42: "Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you."
However, tithing is not just about generosity, but it is about trusting and putting your faith in God. Still offering your tithe when it's difficult to make ends meet is trusting in the Lord that He is with you, concerned about you, and guiding your life.
Moreover, in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, we are told to give cheerfully and not just out of obligation. So, does this apply to the modern Christian tithing?
Should you tithe?
So is tithing required? As mentioned earlier, tithing is an act of worship by Christians, and it is Biblically-based and so Christians are indeed taught to tithe.
However, importantly we also know that God looks at your heart when He considers your acts of worship, and we are told that the only acceptable offerings are those that are given with a cheerful heart and not out of obligation.
In 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 we are told:
6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
So tithing should become a natural part of a life of faith, and not a contentious aspect of our lives of worship. God wants you to be generous, and He wants you to trust and have faith in Him. But at the same time He doesn't want a 'grumbling giver', and indeed it's important we realize that He doesn't actually 'need' any of your acts of worship. Every act of worship has been taught to us through the Bible because it is something that will keep and sustain YOUR faith, and increase YOUR trust in the Lord. No act of worship has been taught to us because God 'needs' something from us! In short, God wants cheerful givers, and passionate acts of worship, given whole-heartedly and with our everything, not reluctant and dissatisfied acts of worship.
So, in the same way that God doesn't want people to be forced to come to church on a Sunday reluctantly, complaining every step of the way, He also doesn't want you to give Him tithe with a heart of unwillingness or disinclination.
Within the act of tithing, at its core, it is not simply about the act of giving money, but it is about so much more; it is about giving something important to you, that you've worked hard for, to God, and even if that leaves you with less and makes you feel slightly uncomfortable, it is about trusting God's word that when we entrust everything to Him, then He will provide everything we need. But remember, what we actually need, and what we think we need or just simply 'want' may be very different things. However, again that is part of entrusting your lives to God - that He will guide and take care of you.
So tithing isn't just about giving something physical, rather it is about giving your heart, it is your worship to God, and it is entrusting Him with everything, and joyfully praising Him all the while you do so.
So should you tithe? Pray and look into your heart of worship, and let God and your heart guide you.
