Tithing From A Cheerful Giver

Source: LifeWay.com

Why The Tithes Are 10%

Tithe simply means "tenth" and the Jewish people have long practiced the discipline of giving at least 10 percent. Abram gave the king of Salem a tenth of everything he had (Gen. 14:20). The Mosaic Law commanded the people to give diverse offerings of 10 percent towards tabernacle worship so that the Levites, a priestly tribe descended from Levi, would be supported. This same tithing principle would later be applied to the temple:

"When the word spread, the Israelites gave liberally of the best of the grain, new wine, oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field, and they brought in an abundance, a tenth of everything" 

(2 Chron. 31:5).  

The prophet Malachi exhorted, 

"'Bring the full tenth into the storehouse so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this way,' says the Lord of Hosts. 'See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure'" (Mal. 3:10).

What is a Cheerful Giver?

As you may already know, giving is a heart issue. A proper understanding of lordship means that we are no longer the "boss" of our own lives. We surrender control of our lives to the One who both created us and redeemed us. "For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised" (2 Cor. 5:14-15, ESV). 

With that said, what if tithing is actually one of God's great gifts to help us grow into His likeness? Nowhere in the New Testament do we find a set percentage to give. The clearest teaching connects the tithe to the heart of the believer. A tenth is simply a starting point, but not necessarily a maximum. The average Hebrew would have been accustomed to total giving of close to 30 percent of his gross earnings. The modern concept of tithing is really more like a floor rather than a ceiling.

As we first began our path to tithing and offerings, we probably adhered to the following doctrine.

The First fruits of All Your Increase

Proverbs 3:9 calls us to honor God with the first and the best of our earnings—the first fruits. At this time, Solomon was speaking to a society of farmers, so most people’s “income” came from the crops they grew or animals they raised. Today, we measure our increase in dollars, not donkeys. But the principle still applies: God calls us to bring Him the first of our earnings. Specifically, the first tenth.

So the tithe, which means “tenth,” is a baseline for giving—the bare minimum. It’s a tenth of your monthly income, and it goes specifically to your local church (Malachi 3:10). It’s the first thing you do when you budget your money—before you pay down debt, make a mortgage payment, or fill your car with gas.

Tithing is really a form of worship, because it shows God we trust Him (not money) to provide for us.

Giving Freely and Cheerfully

Offerings are different. They’re given above and beyond the tithe. The Bible doesn’t command us to give offerings, but it does encourage us to give generously, and offerings—since they aren’t required—reflect the generosity in our hearts.

Here’s the thing about offerings: Unlike tithes, which come out of your budget before anything else, offerings should be given only when you have the financial margin to do so. That means you tithe first and then take care of your own household: your bills, your debt payments, your housing costs, groceries, transportation, and clothing.  After all that is done, and you feel called to give an offering beyond the tithe, feel free!

Now, someone who’s debt-free with lots of extra income every month might not give much beyond the tithe. They can, but they choose not to. That’s where offerings become a heart issue. God wants us to give with open hands and hearts, to be as generous as we can within our circumstances.

In fact, 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV) says, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Now, you have a lot more freedom as to where you can give your offering than you do with your tithe. Tithes must go to your local church, but offerings can really go anywhere—to your church, to a parachurch organization or even to a charity with a cause you believe in.

Source: LifeWay.com