The purpose of tithing has always been the same.

In scripture, old and new testament refer to tithing as worship. The purpose is to remember and pay respect to God for all the things we have received. The act of giving in this way is based on sacrifice. Sacrificing means to give up something at a cost. Sacrificial giving is considered a reflection of the heart. 

To give sacrificially contributes to meeting the needs of others. When one person needs something another person can provide, the response should be mutual respect and humility. God provides for all our needs in ways we do not understand, and sometimes those ways involve other people and their resources.

Contributing to the needs of a community is a common practice.

To support our church supports our spiritual wellness. It also gives leadership one less thing to worry about. It provides money for not only the needs of the physical building but programs and the ability to focus on spiritual issues. It is an investment.

Mark 12:41-44

Principles of tithing

This scripture is my personal favorite when it comes to tithing and giving sacrificially. The church is a place where diversity rules. There are families from every profession and background. The work and pay of members are as diverse as the population. If every single person gave a small percent, the church would have no money issues. We would be able to help the widows when they are in need, the homeless in the community and the college students we send out. In a perfect situation, we could accomplish great things. Jesus said to give, so we should.

Numbers 31:25-30

Returning a Portion

When tithing it’s no different now than a thousand years ago. It’s a tribute. It comes from the heart, not from the head.  Tithing is the first line in our budget. It comes off the top whether done weekly or monthly. There is no question it is only a portion of what we receive. God provides what we need so we have the resources to spread his word.

Giving the best of ourselves and our things is another way to tithe. When the choice is to give our tired self at the end of the day or our refreshed self first-thing in the morning, God would prefer our refreshed self. He wants our full attention, and why not? He has important things to share with us.

What if we are praying for something but giving our time to God last- and we miss it?

What if instead of giving him what’s leftover, we give ourselves to him first? 

It may be a moment of sacrifice for us.

It may entail getting up earlier or skipping a cup of coffee.

Self-sacrifice is a hard lesson and does not come naturally. It takes effort. When we start talking about money and possessions, we cringe a bit. This is not a topic we talk about in church much. Sure, it’s obvious we need money to make things work. We need to pay for utilities, salaries, and insurance. We also have the overhead of outreach, office supplies, and curriculum. If we are going to be a member of an organization and put forth any effort at all, it will require biblical responsibility of sacrifice.

This will include our money.

There is a level of personal responsibility which comes with membership in the church. It is both a physical and spiritual responsibility. Financially, the church cannot run without its members and their monetary support. This is a fact of any non-profit organization. The difference in the sacrificial giving aspect and a traditional non-profit organization is the God factor. We have to be willing to love God and people, all the while loving ourselves enough to want to invest in the church and its mission. We must have no drawbacks to giving.

 

If we are not tithing regularly, we must ask ourselves why. Then pray and work it out.