TITHING

A MATTER OF OBEDIENCE

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 you will not have room enough for it.

Malachi 3:10 (NIV)

The principle of tithing is more a matter of obedience than a way of giving to get. God instituted this as a way of financing His kingdom agenda in the earth and He gave this charge to us, His disciples, so we can carry forth His message. 

In Scripture, those who paid tithes did so faithfully, giving God the “first-fruits” of their increase, taking it from the top. You will see this consistently in the Bible. However, you do not see anyone giving to God to get something in return.

This points directly to the attitude and motive behind the actions of giving. Those that claim tithing “doesn’t work” mostly operate from the same old system that has created most of our financial problems, greed. In contrast, if we tithe with an attitude and motive of obedience, we put God first and trust Him to take care of us.

If nobody tithe, everybody suffers! If everybody tithe, Satan suffers (Mt. 16:18)! If you do not tithe, the church cannot function and you become a robber (Mal. 3:8); but if you do tithe, you make yourself a candidate for God’s blessing as you bless the church.

This works only if you tithe for the right reason, which is to be obedient. We as Christians need to comply with the Scriptures and become faithful in tithing, and most importantly, we should do it for the right reason.

Is tithing really necessary? Why can’t I pay as I go?

Tithing is necessary because it is the means through which God has ordained for His work to go forth. Sure, you can pay as you go, but neither you nor your church would be better off. Besides, you would be disobedient to the Scriptures and soon you will stand before God with this to explain. What will you tell Him?

I want to tithe, but I am afraid. How do I start?

The best time to learn how to tithe is to learn from childhood. Teach your children to give a penny for every dime, a dime for every dollar. Children learn that as they give God their 10%, the rest is theirs to enjoy. Children are likely to enjoy tithing, making it a hard habit to break when they become adults.

However, you have trained yourself to live on 100% of your earnings. If your job reduced your salary by 10%, would you still live on the remaining 90%? If so, why wait until someone else reduce your income before you give up the 10%.

Are you coming up short every month, even though you are using all (100%) of your income? Clearly, your plan is not working. You should try God’s plan.

Are you waiting for an increase in your pay before you start tithing? Chances are you will never start, especially if you have received increases in the past.

Tithing will require a leap of faith. Faith is the means by which we obtain all of God’s promises. God promised to bless those who tithe by opening the floodgates of heaven and pouring it out upon him or her. Listen to the testimonies of those who tithe and then try God for yourself. You will find that God is faithful to His word. Will you be faithful to Him? Start tithing and be biblically compliant!

CHART FOR TITHING

Using your gross income, determine your tithe by moving the decimal over to the left by one place value. For example:

·         If you earn $100.00, your tithe would be $10.00.

·         If you earn $250.00, your tithe would be $25.00.

·         If you earn $500.00, your tithe would be $50.00.

·         If you earn $1000.00, your tithe would be $100.00.

TITHING IS A MATTER OF OBEDIENCE!