Most people have noticed that they must keep giving. giving, giving to the church because that’s “what you’re supposed to do.” The church will guilt you into giving ever more (a favorite is Malachi 3:8-10 about not tithing being the same as cheating God). But is God the harsh task master that demands 20% or more of your income?
Tithe is a Biblical concept. Abraham gave a tithe (Gen 14:10), and God established tithing or His people in the wilderness in Leviticus and Deuteronomy.
“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.” – Lev. 27:30
“You must set aside a tithe of your crops—one-tenth of all the crops you harvest each year.” – Deut. 14:22
Looking at that, you can see that you should give back to God 10% of what you have, since He gave it to you. For the Israelites, this was a spiritually humbling thing, and they acknowledged that everything they had they had because of God. In the same spirit we should tithe today.
But what if you’re broke, struggling to survive on what savings you have left, are trying to find a job but just can’t seem to make it? Are you still supposed to tithe what you don’t have? The church would say yes, because it’s only by tithing that God will bless you (Mal. 3:10). But Deuteronomy gives a slightly different picture:
“Now when the Lord your God blesses you with a good harvest, the place of worship he chooses for his name to be honored might be too far for you to bring the tithe.” – Deut. 14:34
Look closely at the first part of that: “When the Lord your God blesses you with a good harvest…” If you’ve lost your job and are struggling to make ends meet, do you think God wants your tithe before you can by a can of soup or pay your electric bill? I don’t think think so. In fact, go a little further in Deuteronomy and God gives some specific instructions about tithe:
“Every third year you must offer a special tithe of your crops. In this year of the special tithe you must give your tithes to the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows, so that they will have enough to eat in your towns.” - Deut. 26:12
So every third year, the tithe went to people who didn’t have land (Levites) and those who were struggling (immigrants, orphans, widows). God commanded the people to help those who needed it. Is that a stretch? Maybe, but:
“There should be no poor among you, for the Lord your God will greatly bless you in the land he is giving you as a special possession. You will receive this blessing if you are careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today. The Lord your God will bless you as he has promised. You will lend money to many nations but will never need to borrow. You will rule many nations, but they will not rule over you.
“But if there are any poor Israelites in your towns when you arrive in the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tightfisted toward them. Instead, be generous and lend them whatever they need. Do not be mean-spirited and refuse someone a loan because the year for canceling debts is close at hand. If you refuse to make the loan and the needy person cries out to the Lord, you will be considered guilty of sin. Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do. There will always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need.” – Deut. 15:4-11
God is very specific that we should use what we have to care for the poor. We should treat them with kindness and give them as we are able. As Jesus said: “You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me” (John 12:8).
Going by what these Bible passages, God does want us to give a tenth of our increase. But if we simply don’t have any money, God doesn’t want to milk us even more. In fact, God instructs other believers to use their tithes to help you out.
But is that what the modern church instructs? Most modern churches actually put a big emphasis on tithing. In the Adventist Church, believers are strongly encouraged to give as much as they can. The Biblical 10% is the minimum amount you can give, but you don’t want to just scrape by giving the minimum. Why? Because that 10% goes to a large, bloated organization, never to be seen again. Seriously, ask the General Conference to account for all the tithe they take in, see what happens. If you even get a response at all, they won’t (or can’t) account for it all, but not a dime comes back to the local church actually TRYING to minister to people, of that you can be certain.
No, in order for the local Adventist church to survive, members have to give 20% or more, otherwise the electric bill won’t be paid. It’s not pretty, but it’s reality. So Adventists are encouraged to give a 20% tithe (or to use the jargon, tithes and offerings), because 10% is not enough. God needs more to do the ministry He needs to do, and you don’t want to cheat God do you (Mal. 3:8)?
Modern tithing is flawed and broken. Biblically, you could give your 10% to the Red Cross to help others. You could take it to Publix and buy food for a needy family. You could use it to help put gas into the gas tank of a single mom trying to hold things together. That is what God wants. Jesus spells it out very clearly:
“For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.”
“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’” – Matt. 25:35-40
The church might encourage you to give more, more, more, because as Paul said “God loves a cheerful giver!” And if we don’t give, we can’t be cheerful and God will curse us (Mal. 3:9). And let’s face it, the local Adventist churches are in a bad spot because the bulk of everything you give to them for tithe is sent into the ether and can’t even be used for the power bill, the water bill, or anything.
I would encourage you to reflect for yourself how to tithe. Look at the full advice that Paul gives:
You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” – 2 Cor. 9:7
Pray about it. If you can’t tithe financially (and many of us can’t right now), perhaps you can give a tenth of your time to God, helping out where you can. But it is up to YOU to decide what & how much you can give. That is all God asks of you. So talk to Him about it!
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