FREE… Eyes open, curiosity peaks, consumers ready themselves for the deal. Free food, free parking, free gas (Okay I’ll not go that far). Most like the chance to behold the beauty of “free”. But what is really free?
The majority of life offers itself at a cost—supplies, rent, entertainment, etc. What about church? The Bible does say to tithe, but is it required? The Bible also says to give with a willing heart.
When in high school, I had a weekend job. I made about $400 a month. It was so hard for me to willingly write the check for $40. Although I knew it was an obedient act of my worship. I still wanted to only do it sometimes.
I began a rationale for regular giving. I thought about all the services I paid for. At the time, it was gas and entertainment. So I started comparing Sunday mornings to a two-hour movie. I would pay $10 a show, so why not pay $10 a morning for something which would be more everlasting?
If my services were being used for something, I would want to be paid for my work. So why would I expect to use someone else’s services without paying? As beautiful as “free” is, I would not work for free. Then why expect the church to continue to pour out its resources to me without replenishing the source?
This comparison was the beginning of my giving. It helped me be consistent and willing to start sharing my blessings with the church and Kingdom. The longer I tithe, the more transformed my view and heart become.
I no longer want to withhold good things from the Kingdom and its people who need it. Does God need my money? Well, God’s not walking around with a roll of 20s, but He knows what has my money has my heart.
I have come to recognize tithing as more than payment, but a laying down of something that competes with the Father for lordship of my life.
My tendency to cherish money over God remains even as I regularly tithe. Not sure if I will ever break myself of this, but I willingly continue to give to the Lord as an act of submitting this part of my life to Him. I want Him to know He has my heart.
EXTRA:
I am reminded nothing is truthfully MINE. It all comes from God.
Someone once told me a story. A dad and his daughter went to McDonald’s to get some food. He ordered his daughter a kid’s meal, while he just got a Coke. As his daughter ate the fries in the meal, he reached over to snag one. She popped his hand and say MINE. He said daughter, remember who gave you those fries.
Although slightly more comical, this story is applicable. God is the creator and giver of the fries, and we are quick to forget our fry gifts.
written by Jena Coulson,the associate collegiate minister at University of Mary Hardin Baylor in Belton, TX
NO ONE, absolutely NO ONE pays the Biblical tithe today.
Leviticus 27:30-33, Numbers 18: The First Tithe – a tenth of crops and animals and commanded to take the tithe to the Levites.
Deuteronomy 14:22-27: The Second Tithe aka The Festival Tithe – a tenth of crops, plus add to that the firstborn animals, and take for the yearly feast.
Deuteronomy 14:28-29: The Third Tithe aka The Three-Year Tithe aka The Poor Tithe – a tenth of crops, kept at home, and invite the Levites, widows, orphans, stranger to eat.
Now, tell me. Which of the above three tithes commanded by God does anyone follow today?
The ONLY people in the Old Testament that were commanded to tithe were those who INHERITED THE PROMISED LAND WITH EVERYTHING ON IT. They got the land, house, animals, crops, etc. ALL FREE AND CLEAR. No mortgage payment or rent to pay. And THEY were commanded to tithe on the crops and animals and take it to the Levites who INHERITED the tithe INSTEAD OF the promised land with everything on it. No one else tithed. Wage earners did not tithe. Jesus didn’t tithe. Paul didn’t tithe. Peter didn’t tithe.
HOW CAN YOU COMPARE THAT WITH CHRISTIANS WHO HAVE TO PAY THEIR MORTGAGE PAYMENT OR RENT, INCOME TAXES, PROPERTY TAXES, SALES TAXES, ETC?
There is no way to justify making some “principle” out of the Biblical facts and then apply it to Christians today. It is just flat out wrong and makes no sense at all.
The New Testament teaches generous, sacrificial giving, from the heart, according to our means. For some, $1 might be a sacrifice, while for others, even giving 50% of their income might not induce a sacrifice. In the Old Testament, ONLY the farmers tithed, and it was equal percentage (a tenth). The New Testament teaches the principle of equal sacrifice instead of equal percentage. Equal sacrifice is much harder to achieve, if not impossible, than giving ten percent.