Feel like you can't afford to tithe? Should we put off tithing until we can get our finances in order? What does God's Word tell us about tithing?

Tithing has always been a controversial topic to discuss. It is rarely mentioned from the pulpit. A pastor is called to deliver the Word of God to the people of the church. A problem arises; however, in that people tend to become very defensive when it comes to their money. As Christians, we must realize that we don't own anything. We are stewards of the blessings God has entrusted to us.

What is tithing?

Tithe means one tenth. We are to give to God one tenth of what we earn. This can be found in several passages, one of which is Leviticus 27:30-34.

Why do we tithe?

There is more than one answer to this question. Normally, we think in terms of "What does the church do with this money?" The church must do what is in accordance with God's will. This includes many things: providing for the pastor and staff (I Corinthians 9:14), keeping the building in good shape, feeding the hungry, helping the needy, and spreading the gospel. In other words, it should be used to glorify God.

Tithing, I believe, is actually more beneficial to the person giving than to the church. God blesses those who tithe in several ways.

"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)

"Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine." (Proverbs 3:9)

Conclusion:

God has blessed me personally because of my tithing. An amazing story about the blessings of tithing can be found here, relating to a true story about William Colgate. The hard part is just taking that first step. Too often we tell God that once we make a little more money or get out of debt, we will begin to tithe. You see, God does not bless us so we can tithe. God blesses us when we do tithe. God will provide for us. We just have to learn to trust him.

The title of this article is "Can't afford to tithe?" I ask, "Can you afford to not tithe?" God will truly bless those who help support His will.