Without fail, what I have to say about tithing and Christian giving usually induces people into involuntary seizures.

First, let's look at some sobering statistics.

According to a 2019 study , on average, Christians give 2.5% of their income to the church. Less than 25% of people tithe 10% of their income.

This is troubling considering we live in an era of great wealth and opportunity!

The sad truth is, church giving was higher than the depression era than it is now.

I know what you're thinking...how legalistic! God doesn't judge me based on my giving!

You're so right- God judges the heart - and your generosity with money is one way to show the attitude of your heart.

All this being said, I am not here to condemn or judge you based on your giving- your giving is 100% between you and God.

There have been times in our life where we haven't been faithful in our tithes because of our selfish, earthly desires.

Rather, my hope is that upon reading this, and delving into what scripture has to say about giving yourself, you will have more insight into a topic that is not preached often from the pulpit.

We have found, as thousands of others Christians also have, that when we give more, the rest of our money tends to go further.

The late Billy Graham gave this response when asked about tithing:

When we have not been faithful in our tithe, our money seems to run out a heck of a lot faster.

This is because when our hearts are not in the right place, it carries over to other areas of our life.

We skip the tithe one Sunday so we can buy that new TV we've been eying for months, only to find that after purchasing the new TV, our desire for more only grows.

We pursue happiness in THINGS.

Tithing is a blessing to the believer, God doesn't command us to tithe just for the heck of it.

One of the reasons we are to tithe is so that our dependency on God increases.

If you doubt that you can live on 90% of your income, remember that God is to supply all of our needs.

We cannot and should not depend on ourselves.

Tithing to your church and other organizations allows them to continue to spread the message of the gospel.

Your church has staff that needs to be paid, utility bills, training and equipping expenses, and mission work expenses.

We respond to God's gifts and kindness by giving in return, so that the gospel can continue to reach others.

Spoiler alert... the Bible doesn't give any reasons to stop a tithe.

The most asked question I get about this is if you should stop tithing while paying off debt.

The Bible never mentions stopping a tithe.

However, the Bible does say that God blesses those who give faithfully.

Having a biblical standard of a 10% tithe keeps us accountable. While the New Testament does not give a specific amount for a tithe, just as with everything else in the New Covenant, our grace giving is to exceed Old Testament requirements under the law. 

Many people will use the argument that since the New Testament does not give a designated amount for a tithe, each person should give what they feel is right.

However, we see that this is contrary to Scripture.

So many people today want to give without sacrificing anything, but the Bible calls us to a higher standard.

This means that 10% should be a floor and not a ceiling, a place to begin and not a place to end.

Probably the verse that speaks to the tithe the most in the New Testament is 2 Corinthians 9:6-11. It says-

⁶  Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.  ⁷  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.  ⁸  And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. ⁹  As it is written:

“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;
    their righteousness endures forever.” ^{[ c ]}

¹⁰  Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. ¹¹  You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Many church-goers serve their leftover to a holy God.

You see it in the statistics I mentioned at the beginning of this article.

If we are being honest with ourselves, sometimes its hard to give on Sunday because we find ourselves thinking about what we could buy if we keep it instead (GUILTY).

The Bible calls us to give our first fruits, and the sobering truth is that many Christians are giving what is left over after eating out multiple times a week, buying a new car, and upgrading to a bigger home.

While none of these things are inherently wrong, they become an issue if you are putting them before your giving.

Don't throw your crumbs to God.

We are to give sacrificially, meaning there will be things we will have to give up in order to give God our best.

Often times when our incomes increase, our spending increases either proportionally or even more.

Instead, as our income grows, we should resolve to increase our giving past the tithe (10%), to further the gospel mission.

What I'm not saying is that as your income grows you can't have nicer things. That is a form of legalism.

I am saying that as our income grows, we should work towards giving a greater percentage to our church and/or other Christian organizations.

God loves a cheerful giver.

However, just because you aren't cheerful, doesn't mean you shouldn't give.

Inevitably, sometimes we will not want to do our daily devotions, pray with our spouse, go to church, etc., but does that mean just because we don't feel like it we shouldn't do it?

Absolutely not. Instead, by practicing these spiritual disciplines even when we don't feel like it, we are persevering and hopefully we will produce fruit from it.

The more you give, the more cheerfully you will find yourself doing it.

I'll leave you with this from Charles Spurgeon-

"In all of my years of service to my Lord, I have discovered a truth that has never failed and has never been compromised. That truth is that it is beyond the realm of possibilities that one has the ability to out give God. Even if I give the whole of my worth to Him, He will find a way to give back to me much more than I gave."

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