Friday, 10/4/19 – Tough Question – Why Tithe?

Why Should I Tithe?

“Tithing” is the practice of giving to the church ten percent of your income. Sounds like a scam right off the bat to today’s ear, doesn’t it? A common response on first learning about tithing is “What! That’s outrageous! Who can afford to do that in today’s economy?”

But tithing is clearly taught in the scriptures. I can go on to demonstrate this from Abraham, the Patriarchs, the Levitical Priesthood, Judaism, and the early church, but I’m not going to. You see, I don’t think the decision to practice tithing is so much a matter of the intellect as it is of the heart and of the will. It does not have so much to do with understanding as it does with faith and obedience.

Real faith always shows up in one’s actions… in the way one lives. If you believe the chair is built well and will support you, you will sit in it; if you trust Tom you will give him responsibility. In fact, if you believe there will be negative consequences otherwise, you will pay your taxes… for some up to 40% of income. Hmm.

What do you believe about these promises of God:

“I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.” (Ps. 37:25)

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” (Phil.4:19).

“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 there will not be room enough to store it.” (Malachi 3:10)

“…do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear….your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (see all Matt. 25-34)

“So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” (Matt. 22:21).

“On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.” (1 Cor. 16:2).

Veteran tithers know that you cannot outgive God. Somehow God always honors faith and faithfulness in tithing by stretching the remaining 90% to be more than adequate. “Test me in this,” He says (Mal. 3:10 above).

Are you up for His challenge?

Press on…

Got a question? Use the Contact page and send It to me. We’ll search the Word for God’s answer.