Getting Beyond the Tithing Rules

8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, In what way have we robbed You? In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it." (Mal 3:8-10 NKJV)

Tithing is a pretty touchy subject for Christians (these days, what isn't touchy when discussing Christianity?), mainly because it is one that is so difficult for the believer to conform with.

It's easy for me to look around at what I have, or look online at my bank account and think of everything that I have as "mine". Because I have applied myself to build these things up and purchase what I have, I don't want to do anything that will lessen what's "mine".

But, is that attitude really Biblical?

In scripture, we find:

"The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, says the Lord of hosts" (Hag 2:8)

"The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein." (Ps. 24:1)

The concept of personal ownership is really temporary and an illusion. God owns everything, and although we work, earn, and are allowed to steward personal property (hence "thou shalt not steal"), He is ultimately the one who provides for us. In addition, when we become Christians, we are laying down our whole lives before His throne to do with as He pleases. That includes all of our "possessions".

So if we don't truly own anything, what does that make the tithe? On the surface, it is essentially giving back 10% of God's money to Him. For myself, the tithe is a constant reminder of the Lordship of God, and a recognition that everything is truly His. Malachi speaks of blessings because of the tithe, and preachers always like to focus on that aspect, but I really don't think that should matter one iota. Everything we receive is from the Lord anyway, so we should focus on the condition of our souls and the level of our faith.

When our souls balk at tithing, I think it's useful to ask ourselves, "If I am willing to entrust my eternity to the Lord in faith that He will save me, why in the world would I care about giving back 10% of what He's given me?" We become so entrapped by our possessions that we have a tough time giving cheerfully to the Lord. ("The Lord loves a cheerful giver" 2 Cor 9:7)

There does seem to be a lot of confusion out there because the New Testament doesn't specifically mention the tithe, and there are those who believe that such commands are no longer scriptural because it wasn't specifically repeated by Jesus. However, the Lord did say:

"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill." (Mt 5:17)

So in this case, I don't think it's useful on either side of the tithing argument to look at hard and fast rules of application. If a person's heart is unable to give cheerfully, I don't believe the Lord will honor the gift. However, if the tithe is given out of spirit of submission and obedience, then it is a gift that the Lord will accept and bless (see Cain and Abel). The importance above all is our heart's condition when we give the tithe, not the want/fear of a blessing or curse, and not for the guilt that we may feel if we don't do it.

"Have I truly laid my life down to the Lord, or am I trying to keep something for myself?" With that question reiterated, the deeper question becomes, "Am I still in bondage to the world?" The answer for the rich young ruler in Luke 18 was, "Yes, I cannot let go of my great wealth to follow Jesus." And again, that seems to be the real test of the tithe -- Knowing that we have submitted everything to God, observing that the tithe was in place throughout the Old Testament, recognizing that there is still a great work to be performed here through the church which naturally should be funded, can we not give back 10% of what God has given to us?

For myself, my desire is to say, "Yes Lord! I will give whatever You ask!" But my flesh recoils at the thought of all that I won't be able to purchase without that money. So I know that there will be struggles with this always, but it all comes down to submission to Christ and knowing that my life is His. Once I gain some perspective, then serving Him through giving becomes a joy once more.

Lord Jesus, help me to check my heart constantly and root out the selfish desires which so easily threatens to overwhelm a state of obedience and submission to You. I know that the tithe is key to bringing ourselves into alignment with You and keeps us from becoming ensnared with the lust for worldly gain. Thank You for Your wisdom in knowing our wicked hearts so well that You have given us these guidelines to follow. In Your amazing name, AMEN.