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One of the hardest things for most of us to do is give up our money. Especially ten percent of it. Yet, this is what God asks of us, that we tithe, or give up ten percent of our earnings, to the church. (Proverbs 3:9) Why does God want my money? Why is tithing important?
There are principles behind tithing that have nothing to do with the money itself. Tithing teaches us obedience. When God asks us for something, we should be willing to give it freely and gladly. It teaches us trust. Surrendering ten percent of our gross income is scary, especially if we have little to begin with. We are taught discipline by tithing, too. Doing something difficult routinely takes discipline. When we can be disciplined with our money, we have a tremendous advantage. We also have a financial obligation to the support of our church. Tithing keeps the doors to God’s house open for all.
One of the things that God asks of us is obedience. He doesn’t want us to be His slaves or puppets, He asks for obedience because it makes our lives easier. He has the advantage of knowing all things through all time and sees pitfalls and problems in front of us way before we could even imagine them. When we are obedient, He can smooth our paths. God has no particular need for our money. He owns the cattle on a thousand hillsides. (Psalm 50:10) All things under creation are His. What He wants is our joyful willingness to give whatever He asks of us.
He asks for our money because He knows that money is one of man’s most significant stumbling blocks. Greed and fear force us to hold tightly to our money. Many people worship money and will do whatever it takes to get it and keep it. When we are able to freely and joyfully give our money to God, we achieve a freedom like no other. Our obedience in financial stewardship reveals a maturity of character that God treasures. When we honor Him with our financial obedience, He blesses us. “And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.” (Malachi 3:12) (For understanding, read Malachi 3-10-18)
Obedience opens up opportunities for God to bless us. Just as a responsible parent would not reward a disobedient child, God cannot reward us when we do not obey Him. If you are struggling financially, it could be a result of financial disobedience. This is not the only reason we experience financial difficulty, certainly, but it can be one reason.
God also asks for our faith and trust. When we willingly surrender a tenth of our income, especially when we believe we can’t afford to, we’re telling God, “I believe You will take care of me and provide for me.” God wants for us to be able to look beyond our circumstances and rely on Him for our needs. “Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?” (Luke 12:24)
We can only demonstrate our faith with our actions. When we act out of belief that God is true to His Word, our faith is evident. James says “… be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” (James 1:22) Those who profess faith but don’t act in faith are deceived. It is faithful behavior that evidences the Spirit within us. It is faithful behavior that allows God to bless us. “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. “ (Malachi 3:10 NKJV)
It is faithful behavior that matures us as Christians. Discipline is an important element of maturity. A person who can self-manage effectively can be trusted with much responsibility. “Much is required from those to whom much is given, and much more is required from those to whom much more is given.” (Luke 12:48 NLT) We want God to find us responsible because we are of greater use to Him then. The mature Christian desires to serve the Lord to the best of his or her ability.
You could ask, “What’s in it for me to take on more responsibility?” While this question demonstrates that the asker is not yet ready for more responsibility, it is a question that comes to the mind of the newer Christian. “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.” (Matthew 16:27) A mature, disciplined Christian will be able to give freely, knowing that God will reward his or her faith, that God will provide for every need and that God will allow him or her greater opportunity to serve.
We also tithe because we have a personal financial responsibility to our church. We have church staff and a pastor who tend to our needs and the management of our church and they need to be able to live too. “Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work;” (Jeremiah 22:13)
Our church facilities also need keeping and the keeping of the house is the responsibility of the family. If you are a part of your church, then you have a responsibility for its upkeep. Your money helps to take care of those who serve you and the facility that houses your church.
God doesn’t want us to give so much for His sake as for our own. He wants us to be obedient and give Him opportunities to bless us. He wants us to trust Him to meet our needs. He wants us to be disciplined and mature so that we are more useful in His service. He wants us to take responsibility for our Christian family and support our churches. He could do all these things on His own without our money but what would we learn? Does a child learn to take care of himself if his parent does everything for him? Of course not. God is our good parent and He works to raise us right so that we can stand on our own feet for Him.
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