On Tithing

I have to admit that for a long time, I considered myself a Christian - a Christ-follower, but didn't do anything about tithing. That is to say, I was aware of the mandate for God's people to give the "first fruits" of ten percent. I just didn't respond to that awareness. I had knowledge but not action.

Somewhere along the line, obedience became something that mattered to me. It wasn't a particular conviction about tithing. Rather it was a dawning awareness that obedience to God mattered. Obedience in general - in all things really. Frankly, when I had become a Christian, the notion of obeying was probably the furthest thing from my mind.

Anyway, towards the end of that year (when obedience dawned on me) I asked my wife to add up what we'd given the church. We made a ledger and saw that week after week, month after month, our giving had gradually increased. As it turned out, we were surprised to find that just about 10% of what we'd earned that year had been given.

Our first reaction to that revelation was simply, "We can't afford that!" Then we realized it had already been done. Our second reaction - or conclusion - was that apparently we could afford that, because indeed we had.

How had that come to pass? Well, I had been sitting down on Sunday mornings with our checkbook. Each week I would sit there with it and ask, "Okay God. How much?" And a certain number would come into my mind. That would be the amount of the check that week.

Had God led us into tithing without our realizing it? It surely seemed that way. I had no other explanation. And I knew that I hadn't consciously chosen to tithe. There was absolutely no deliberate effort on my part. That was several years ago. But I'll never forget that revelation that God had led us into tithing, we could afford to tithe, and we were in fact --- now "tithers." Quite frankly, it's a label we had never considered giving ourselves.

God's people are supposed to tithe. We're supposed to give at least 10% of everything we make. And we're supposed to do more than that. Ten percent goes to God (the organized church). There are offerings and gifts well beyond that though. We're to help the poor and the needy. Indeed, God wants His people to be defined as generous. Did you know that?

Now that we've been tithers for many years, I have some experiential learning about it. Let me share some of it with you.

1. Tithing is an obedience issue. God said do it. So do it.

2. It puts God first in our priorities. God gets His first. So we give our tithe before we even think about paying other bills or spending on anything else.

3. It supplies the "temple" and means "the Levites" (i.e., pastors and church staff) can be properly cared for. Without the tithe, the church is handicapped and dysfunctional.

4. Tithing affirms that we are aware God is our provision - and that we are willing to trust Him for our provision. Even when financial matters are pressing, I tithe because I know God is faithful.

5. Tithing kills selfishness and greed. It's hard to fantasize about winning the lottery, for example, when I know that God gets the tithe right off the top. All my thinking about money is changed when I'm a tither.

6. Tithing brings special blessings. God said (in Malachi 3) that our obedience in tithing will result in special blessings and provisions. Said differently, obedience in tithing means God will bless our finances. It's His promise. Really it is.

So the final part of this experiential learning I have about tithing relates to where our giving is to come from. Frankly, 10% of say a million dollars isn't too difficult. God requires the first 10% for Himself. But He further instructs His people to be generous givers. In other words, God's directive with my finances doesn't stop with tithing. For wealthy people, for example, giving God 10% isn't going to require much of a sacrifice or much faith.

But I've learned that God's people are supposed to tithe and give out of our sacrifice, and not just out of our excess. That's right, give out of our sacrifice instead of giving out of our excess. What's the difference? Giving out of our sacrifice means that we give whatever amount it takes to cut into our comfort zone.

We are all to give to the point that it costs us something. For the poor, that's probably going to be 10%. But for the affluent, it's going to be a lot more. Ten percent is the minimum. And there is no cap.

The Lord loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7) But I've learned that when this so-called cheerful giver loves the Lord and gives out of response to that love, much more can be accomplished with that giving.

I've often wondered why so many so-called Christians can --- as I did for years --- ignore or overlook this important mandate to tithe. Frankly, I'm amazed at how many years I called myself a Christian and didn't tithe. How could I have been so ignorant and unaware?

Call it ignorance. Call it heresy. Call it whatever you want to call it. But I suspect that all most of us would need to become tithers is simply to allow God to lead us. He can lead us into that tither role, without our ever realizing He's doing it.

He is a merciful God. But He wants you and I to be tithers. He wants you and I to give generously. And He wants each of us to give from our sacrifice and not just from our excess. It's how God's people are to be defined. It is His will for our lives.

Tithing

I write this blog, and maintain two other blogs. One of them is just an advice column, where people write in with questions. (http://dearvictorious.blogspot.com/) Most of the questions are long-winded, and I boil them down to a sentence or two so that we can be concise.

Occasionally I get questions that seem to have a theme. Or the frequency with which they're asked seems to represent a theme. And so it is with tithing. I guess we can't blame folks for thinking that tithing is controversial, or for being confused about it. It seems there is a whole herd of preachers who use Scripture to manipulate people with their money.

One approach is called "prosperity theology," and people get sold this insane idea that if they give me God will bless them more. So they're encouraged to give their way out of poverty, for example. What nonsense! These people talk about money so often and so strongly that often they turn people off. It doesn't result in anything that God would have wanted.

Of course there is the other end of that spectrum. Here, preachers are afraid to talk about money. And so they leave their people in ignorance of the truth. Again, it doesn't result in anything that god would have wanted.

I think what the world needs is some straight talk with Christians about what it means to be a Christian. I mean there are certain responsibilities that we have when we become Christians. (That in itself might come as a surprise to many people!)

So what is the truth about money? The truth is that God established tithing as an obligation of His people in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 14:22-29 & Malachi 3:8-12). In the New Testament, Jesus changed a lot of things - but He never changed the obligation of tithes and offerings.

Tithing is still very much an obligation of God's people. Money belongs to God. Everything we have belongs to Him and all of our provision comes from Him. He asks us to dedicate the first fruits (measured as 10%) to Him. Beyond that, we are to be generous with the rest of our money, quick to help others in need.

Now you may ask why God would hold on to such an old-fashioned proposition as tithing? There are several good reasons. Let's look at some key ones:

1. It teaches us to fear the Lord and put Him first in our lives.
2. It reminds us who our provision is and who all of our money really belongs to.
3. It provides support for the church workers and facilities.
4. It empowers the church to care for the poor in the community.
5. It empowers the church to send missionaries into the world.
6. It is part of our obedience and submission to God and His authority in our lives.

So here's the thing, there really shouldn't be an argument (about tithing) among anyone professing to be a Christian. In fact, we should view it as a tax, dues, or any other sort of obligation.

Now in addition to tithing, the Bible instructs God's people to be generous, giving to others in need whenever we become aware of their need and have the resources to help them. This is not considered part of our tithing. This is over and above our obedience in tithing.

We sat in church one day a few years ago. The woman next to us wrote a check for $1,000 in front of us. She leaned over and whispered something like, "I'll bet their eyes will pop when they see the amount of this check!" Clearly she was proud of her giving to the church that day. I'm sure she crawled into her Mercedes and drove home to her million home after the service - satisfied that she had "given to the Lord." But did she? Was $1,000 the first fruits of her household income? (I doubt it.)

The thing is that Christians, or anyone who professes to be one, need to get a serious paradigm shift about money. And I'm not talking about getting you more money. I'm talking about you getting obedient with the money you have. Tithing is a 10% obligation. It comes off the top, without any discussion whatsoever. Offerings are the generous giving that we're commanded to do over and above our glad tithing.

So how about it? Do you need to re-arrange some priorities to be obediently tithing this year?

Supporting Charity

Sometimes the numbers are overwhelming. I'm talking about requests from friends and relatives, co-workers and neighbors ... to support their latest charity initiative.

When I was a teen-ager, I remember rocking in a rocking chair for over 24 hours - to raise money for a mission trip. I rocked, and raised more money than any of the other kids. There was a girl on my school bus whose Dad had made a lot of money in coal. He'd divorced her mother and moved to Tennessee. But being the enterprising young man that I was, I wrote to him and ask him to help me. He'd never met me, but my connection with his daughter apparently moved him to write a big check. It put me way ahead of the pack of other teen-agers who were "off their rockers" that weekend. (Sorry --- I just could resist the pun!)

Anyway, I digress. I should have realized it back then in my teen-age years. I should have seen it coming. Today, the Girl Scout cookies, the Brownie popcorn, the Boy Scout candy, the grade school wrapping paper, and of course those church youth groups with their car washes, mission trips, etc. Everyone wants you to do something to support whatever charity or non-profit endeavor they feel called to. But it doesn't end there either.

Look in the newspapers or get on-line and it doesn't take you long to see a myriad of opportunities to support your favorite charity. The latest headline I read this week was titled, "10 Ways to Support Charity Through Social Media." It's a story about how I can Twitter my favorite charity to success. Of course you can shop to benefit charity, dine out to benefit charity, have the grocery store funnel money to charity, have your credit card funnel money to charity, and on it goes.

I'm sorry, but I'm looking at God's Word. It says we are to love and serve God above all others. It says we are to love each other (our neighbor). I wonder if these gimmicks amount to love. Does raising money for the church youth group show my love for God? Does shopping at Kroger and directing some of the proceeds to charity show how much I love my neighbor?

Don't get me wrong. Americans have always been considered a generous lot. It's been said that we give more money than any nation on earth ever has. I believe that is probably true. But I think it can be argued that we give out of our excess. Few of us are giving sacrificially. Statistically, Americans are giving less than 3% of their income to charity. That's not tithing. That's not generous. And I dare say that it isn't love.

Wouldn't it be more loving if we each tried to out give one another? Wouldn't it be more effective if we each tried to out serve one another? Instead of sending our kids around the neighborhood to sell popcorn or wrapping paper --- how about we teach our kids to love God and teach them to love others? That would be, of course, instead of teaching them how to sell crap that people don't need and really don't want to buy --- but purchase anyway because the kids are so cute, it's "for a good cause," or because we fell guilty if we don't.

I'm all for charity. But my wife and I pray over our money and we give where God directs us. We're giving considerably more than 10% to our church alone. And we give well beyond that too. We serve others by volunteering our time, our home and whatever else we can serve with. And yet, here comes the requests.

Shop for Jesus. Dance for diabetes. Race for the cure. It makes me wonder if I didn't step into some quagmire back in those teen-age days when I rocked for a mission trip. Between Marlo Thomas, Lance Armstrong, Sally Struthers and Susan Komen - I think I need to find that girl on the school bus, write to her Dad again and see if he can help me out of this mess

Christian Stewardship

It has been said that the two most difficult things for preachers to talk about are sex and money. It's obvious then that I am not a preacher. I can readily talk about both. It's not that I have this infatuation with either topic. But I see clearly that God is purposeful with us about both topics. Today, I think I am supposed to blog about money.

I just finished watching I.O.U.S.A. on CNN. It was a two-hour special that addressed the fiscal issues facing Americans and our government. I wonder how many Americans watched it.

I wonder how many of those who watched actually comprehended the issues that were being presented. And most importantly, I wonder how many Americans know what needs to be known about their finances. I suspect that American Christians could lead the way, set the example and be "salt and light" on this subject. What would it take for us to do that?

Leviticus 27:30 tells us, "And all the tithe ... is the Lord's; it is holy unto the Lord." Most of us know what a tithe is (10% of gross household income - as defined in the Old Testament). But many modern-day Christians seem to think the tithe is an Old Testament concept that doesn't have to be honored. Leviticus 27:30 says it is God's and it is holy. Do you really think it could get to a place in time when it would no longer matter?

Jesus talked a lot about the Old Testament. One of the most important things He said was, "I didn't come to abolish the law of Moses ... until heaven and earth disappear, even the smallest detail of God's law will remain until its purposes are achieved." (Matthew 5:17-18). Jesus later said, in Matthew 23:23, "You should tithe, yes ..." So it is clear that we cannot throw away the concept of tithing. It was God-ordained in the Old Testament, and Jesus affirmed it in the New Testament.

So why is this thing called tithe so special to God? What's the big deal? Isn't it just money? Malachi 3:10 says, "Bring all your tithes into the storehouse, so there will be enough ... in my temple." Enough what? Enough to meet the needs of the poor, the sick, etc. Enough to pay for the expenses of running the temple and answering God's call to ministry. Here's the thing, folks: Effective churches are supposed to have expensive ministries.

And tithing empowers effective churches. It has been God's plan all along, since the beginning of time, that His people would provide for the needs of the poor, do ministry, evangelize the world, and more. He never intended government to do it. He never intended para-church ministries to do it. The tithe has always been meant for the church. And the point is that it is supposed to empower the church. Did you know that?

So what are today's Christians doing with the tithe? George Barna (http://www.barna.org/) has done a number of surveys. A recent survey revealed the following statistics:

~ 76% of Americans identify themselves as "born-again Christians"

~ 16% of them don't give anything at all to any church ... not a penny

~ Less than 3% of them claim that they are tithing (the full 10%)

~ Only 5% of the wealthiest say they are tithing

If you talk to people who aren't tithing, many of them will tell you they know they should, even if they've tried to justify their disobedience. Even in the sincerest conversations, they'll tell you that they can't afford to tithe. They'll tell you that stewardship is hard.

But Jesus said, "My yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:30) Doing what God requires of us is not difficult. In fact, it makes life work. So even if I think I can't afford it, it's only my perception. The truth is that what God requires of me is easy and light - not difficult and unbearable.

So if I'm going to be a good Christian steward, how do I get from here to there? If I admit that I'm not a good steward now, how can I begin to change? There are some pretty logical steps actually. They don't include attending a seminar, buying a book, clipping coupons or doing anything else that's stupid. In fact, they are part of the spiritual journey. So in closing, let's see what these eight things you can do are.

Larry's Path To Christian Stewardship - 8 Simple Steps

1. Yield myself to God. Let Him change me His way. Pray and ask Him to lead me to this state in life - where I am a good steward and can tithe comfortably.

2. Admit that everything that I am, everything that I have --- it all belongs to Him. Start practicing that mindset. Start living that truth.

3. Understand that God blesses me for a purpose. His purpose! My job, my wealth, my ability, my things --- He gave all of them to me with an expectation of me.

4. Look and see where God is working. Can I join Him there? I don't have to save the world. I can simply employ my stewardship with other Christians --- and together we can accomplish much.

5. Ask God how to start. Sit down with your checkbook and say, "Okay God, how much?" Then write the check for whatever His Holy Spirit tells you. Do NOT add up all your bills to see what's left and assume that's how much you'll give.

6. Expect to become generous. If you're letting God lead you, He will take you there. He will make you a generous person. (Can't you just wait!)

7. Look past the risks. Christ-followers are risk-takers. God knows you have bills. He knows you might get laid off. He's aware of the cost of health care. Trust Him with your risks.

8. Listen to God when He says, "No." Sometimes men (or women) will ask you for money. You'll hear impassioned pleas to fund this ministry or that mission trip. You are not called to fund everything. Remember, it is God's money. Ask Him if He wants you to give it. He's already told you to give 10% to your church. Beyond that, be very discriminating - and only give to the things God truly calls you to give to. (Don't worry, you'll still be generous.)

Obama's Wallet is Telling

Preachers have always told us that you can see what someone really believes if you look at their checkbook and their day planner. In other other words, don't listen to what they say - look at what they do. I never paid much attention to that, but as I've gotten older, I began to realize that it's backed by a very strong truth in human nature: people don't always do what they say, but they will always do what they believe. And so yesterday's news on the Obamas was very sad for me.

Barack and Michelle Obama made public their tax returns for the years 2000-2006. (They issued a challenge to Bill and Hillary Clinton to do the same thing.) I'm not sure why tax returns are such a big deal for presidential candidates, but they are telling about the beliefs of these individuals.

True Christians have, for centuries, tithed faithfully - giving at least 10% of their household incomes to the church or otherwise to the work of the Lord (i.e. Christian organizations and missions). Obama has been running for president on a platform of Christianity. He's told us that he had a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ and has been a Christ-follower ever since. His tax returns seem to suggest otherwise.

From 2000-2004, the Obamas took in over $1.2 million in household income. That's an average of $244,529 annually over those five years. Their giving to all charity during those years? Just $10,770, or less than 1% of of their income. Folks, these are not generous people. Heck, they are not even obedient people!

When the press questioned this, an Obama spokesman said, "As new parents who were paying off ... student loans, giving ... was as generous as they could be at the time." Could that be true of Christ-followers? I hate to be difficult, but folks, I'm not buying this one. I know people who have two kids, student loans and make only a fraction of what the Obamas make. They still tithe. Children and student loans don't prevent one from being obedient to God.

In 2005, the Obamas' income shot up to almost $1.671 million - and their giving shot up to $77,315. That was 4.63% of their income, almost half what it would have taken to tithe as Christians obedient to God. In 2007, the Obamas' income was only $991,296 and they gave $60,307 to charity. That was just over 6% of their income. I guess the good news is that as they have become more wealthy (the above photo was taken while Barack was relaxing at the Ritz Carlton in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands), they are becoming more generous. Perhaps if this trend continues, they will become truly obedient to Christ!

I don't like taking pot shots at anyone. But this man is asking me to trust him for a lot. Before any of us can really trust someone, we have to know them. I don't think I really know who Barack Obama is. And the troubling thing is that what I do know makes me think he isn't who he says he is.

So Mr. Obama, I'd really like to vote for you. But can you tell me who you really are?