A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF TITHING

Be sure to check out the special offer in the final paragraph of this teaching article.

TODDLERS AND TOYS

Have you ever reached for a toy that was in the hands of a toddler? If you have, you know exactly what happens next. They clutch the toy tightly, their shoulders tense up, and they give you that mean face, turning their back to you, usually while screaming for you to get away from their toys.

Many of us carry this natural-born selfishness into adulthood. You see it when people begrudgingly give to charity and in their reasons for giving. Sometimes, people give because it benefits them personally—a tax break, feeling good around the holidays, getting their name on a plaque, advertising for their business, or manipulating the agenda of the organization they're donating to. Other times, people give out of a sense of duty. For instance, they might walk past a military veteran on the street asking for donations and drop some obligatory dollars into the bucket because they're too embarrassed to walk by without giving. They're adults, but when it comes to generosity, they're like toddlers screaming for everyone to get away from their stuff.

The Bible gives us an alternate view of generosity. It's a picture of an adult who isn't enslaved by the "must-haves" of our culture, who finds joy in giving, and whose generosity is driven by deep compassion to help others and advance the Gospel.

WHY TITHE?

  • Tithing is the antidote for greed, selfishness, and entitlement attitudes —serving as an antibiotic for a terrible disease.

  • Tithing is the purest form of gratitude because it is the tangible way to say "Thanks." When we give back to God, we acknowledge that everything we have and all we are comes from him in the first place.

  • When we tithe, we recognize that while we cannot have it all, we do have enough.

Giving is the solution to our attitude toward money because it changes our hearts. It helps us see the bigger picture, allowing us to set priorities and make necessary sacrifices. Giving is the best treatment for envy, covetousness, and peer pressure.

But giving does even more for us. It connects us to the world, letting us see beyond ourselves. It allows us to view the world through the eyes of compassion. Giving develops our faith and pulls the plug on our greed and compulsive money behaviors. It quiets that voice inside of us, saying, "I want more and more and more!" It calms our insatiable desires by taking our eyes off ourselves.

TITHING IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

Tithing is a spiritual practice that cultivates God-honoring generosity. It means giving one-tenth of your income as an offering to God through the ministry of His body, the local church. For the giver, it displays trust that God is the ultimate provider. It's a heartfelt "thank you" for the ability to earn a living. For the church receiving the tithe, it's a powerful tool to do more ministry work and reach even more people.

History and archaeology reveal that tithing was common among many ancient nations. It was a way to show allegiance to the ruling king or to express gratitude to someone who had provided significant help.

Giving a tenth of one's income or property traces back to Hebrew history even before the Mosaic Law (the first five books of the Old Testament). The first recorded instance of tithing in the Bible appears in Genesis 14:17-20. After returning from rescuing Lot and defeating his enemies, Abraham met Melchizedek, the "king of Salem." The text states that Abraham gave Melchizedek a tithe of all the goods he had obtained in battle. Similarly, in Genesis 28:22, Jacob promised to give the Lord a tenth of all he received long before the Law of Moses.

The Law of Moses detailed tithing in Leviticus 27, Numbers 18, and Deuteronomy 12. In the Old Testament, giving a tenth was meant to meet the material needs of the Levite priests, the stranger, the fatherless (the orphan), and the widow (Deuteronomy 26:12-13). The tithe was an expression of gratitude to God by His people, acknowledging God's ownership of everything on earth.

TITHING AND JESUS

In Matthew 23:23, Jesus harshly corrected the Pharisees; "How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest part of your income, but you ignore the important things of the law — justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but you should not leave the more important things undone."

Jesus is scolding the Pharisees because they obey the ceremonial laws of Moses but ignore the never-changing laws of God, like justice, mercy, and faith. Yet, He praises them for tithing. Jesus clarifies that while tithing is essential, it doesn't exempt them from following all of God's teachings—justice, mercy, faith, love, and more. You can give 10% of your income back to God through the church for ministry work and still live a life that displeases God. However, living a life pleasing to God includes being a good steward, which is reflected through tithing.

Another essential thought on Christian generosity is that tithing is a starting point, not an ending point. Tithing is the minimum benchmark, not a final goal. When you reach that tithe, it's not time to stop—it's an invitation from God to step into even more remarkable generosity. God will nudge you to be even more open-handed with your finances.

A survey of 4,500 church attendees from various churches across the country revealed the following:

  • 90% said the church does not teach about money enough.

  • A large majority expressed a desire to give more and experience the joy of doing so, but financial pressures prevent them from giving as much as they would like.

  • 55% of those who considered themselves spiritually mature give less than 3% of their income.

So, if these statistics hold, why do so many people struggle to tithe?

  • Many Christians lack a basic biblical understanding of tithing.

  • They need to trust the biblical teachings more to follow through with the practice.

  • When buried under debt and bills, they must learn to tithe, which requires a lifestyle or financial shift. We help people navigate this through our partnership with getfreedup.com.

  • Many Christ followers are simply disobedient to this clear scriptural teaching.

Even so, many do tithe. Newstart Church stands on the foundation of countless people who give 10% of their income to support the ministry. They do it quietly, without seeking applause or recognition. They give generously and with joy in their hearts. Every time a song is sung, lights are turned on for a worship gathering, the staff leads volunteers in ministry, mission work is done worldwide, and someone is baptized – they celebrate. They celebrate with laughter, tears of joy, and even smiles hidden behind straight faces. They celebrate because they know their generosity through tithing has played a role in transforming lives for the better through this church's ministry, all by God's grace.

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