“I was on the altar but he took me off of it”, said my friend. 
For those that know me well, I couldn’t help my facial expression after that one! My quick response, I have to say was not godly… “You wanted him to take you off the alter!”
Everyone started laughing at that response but I felt badly after! So I looked at her and said, “Your decision, to leave the church to be with a guy you shouldn’t have been with is no reason to not tithe” (Yes, this all started with me muttering to myself that I felt I didn’t calculate my tithing correctly and was trying to re-calculate!)
My friend thought that she couldn’t tithe because she was embarrassed about going back to Church. It left me thinking how many more people feel that way!
Many of us are uncomfortable and find many different reasons why we should not tithe. Some of the popular ones I have heard include:
- I have too many bills
- I don’t have enough money to tithe
- I don’t trust the Church
- Tithing is an Old Testament thing and not in the New Testament
- I can’t decide who or where I should tithe
- I am too scared to give away my money
- Why do I have to give back my money to God?
- I give my money to other things and people, that should count.
- Many people are already tithing, mine aren’t needed
- Tithe? What is that?
Many of the reasons include “I, I, I” … but the money that God has blessed you with is for “Him, Him, Him”. We have gotten very comfortable in thinking that it is ‘my money’ when it truly isn’t.
Job said it very well:
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
may the name of the Lord be praised.” Job 1:21
We can come up with many different reasons why we can’t tithe, but for those of us that are called by God and want to be obedient to the truth in HIS word, we are guided to tithe.
I don’t want to steal from God:
“Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty.” Malachi 3:8-12
I have seen the additional abundant blessings of God when I have tithed:
“Honor the Lord with your wealth,
with the first fruits of all your crops;
then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine.” Proverbs 3:9-10
Jesus came to fulfill the law in the true meaning of the law. We are to tithe, but also remember the importance of loving our neighbors:
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.” Matthew 23:23
Food for thought: Are you tithing? If you are not, what is stopping you? Test God. This is the only thing in the bible that God tells us to test HIM in.
Prayer: Lord, remind your people that you are Creator of ALL things… and that includes the money and riches that you have graciously blessed us with. Tithing stirs a human weakness in us where we don’t want to separate from money but keep it all to ourselves… forgive us Lord. May our giving to your kingdom glorify and honor your holy name. Glory to God in the highest. Amen
May God’s peace, mercy and grace be with you.