They Give But They Don't Tithe: Part 1 of 2

"They give, but they don't tithe."

That was the line a pastor friend of mine recently used to describe the financial state of his congregation. His church is in an economically depressed part of the country where finances are tight and unemployment is high.

I sympathize for his church's situation, but sadly, his tithing condition is not limited to his church and town. Probably even worse is that "giving, but not tithing" isn't even limited to economic condition.

I've been involved in church ministry in one form or another since the mid-90s, and I have seen this condition regardless of how the economy is doing. Granted, "giving but not tithing" is much more common in a poor economy, but I think there is something that needs to be addressed regarding the financial gifts we give to the church.

For those unfamiliar with the term, a tithe is a tenth. It means ten percent. In the Bible, the tithe was ten percent of an individual's (or family's) gross income or production.

Leviticus 27:30 points out that "One tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain from the fields or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord and must be set apart to him as holy."

Malachi chapter three has what is probably the most recognizable statements regarding the tithe. Included in this section is God's personal challenge to us to test Him on whether he will bless the tither or not.

So, how does this apply today? Well, I believe that everyone should give or their time, ability and finances. Giving may come in the form of helping out a local charity, or volunteering at the local elementary school. And, yes, it can also happen at church, but we'll save that for the next paragraph. What I want to get at is that everyone should develop within them a giving, self-less heart. A giver can go a long way toward meeting the needs of their community.

As for the tithe, this is strictly a God-and-His-people thing. Leviticus commands it to be done, and Malachi is the dare to try it. Here's how I look at it:

• If you don't make any income, or produce anything, or have no talent, then there is nothing to tithe. The only thing I would add here is that you should be careful in determining what makes up zero income/production. It is human nature to try to twist the facts and cheat God (that's why Malachi 3 exists). Be honest with what you are getting and giving.
• If you're dropping the $5 special in the offering bucket each week, month, quarter, etc., then you obviously aren't trusting God with your finances, and/or haven't bought into the whole God and Jesus thing. If you can't trust God to give him ten percent of your income, then perhaps you should do some soul searching to find out if money might be more of a god to you than the God of the universe.
• When you get into tithing, there is always the debate on what part of the income you should tithe. Should you tithe the net or gross income? Should you tithe things like tax refunds, gifts and the like? I think if you study scripture, you will find that God asks for a tithe off the gross, before you or the government gets their share. If you give God the net, then don't be surprised if your blessings have a "net" kind of feel to them. As far as extra sources of income, like tax refunds, gifts, etc., you're going to have use a dose of honesty to decide these. My take on it is that if you didn't already tithe on the income you receive, then you should do so. This especially applies to tax refunds where some people may have no taxable income, but because of things like child tax credits, they receive money back that wasn't part of their normal wages. If it's extra, consider tithing off it.

Ultimately, tithing is a trust issue. How much do you really trust God?

If you're interested in becoming a regular tither, check back tomorrow, and I'll give you some easy steps.