How Much Should We Give?
How much should we give back to God and to his church? Should we, as Christians, tithe?
This is a question people of faith have been asking for a long time, so let’s dig in and see if we can gain some clarity.
What is a Tithe?
First, it might be helpful to answer this question, What is a tithe?
The tithe is a Hebrew word that literally means a tenth. In the law of Moses the people of Israel were commanded to give a tenth of their income to God. This gift sustained the tabernacle and then later on, the Temple, and it provided for the priests.
In Leviticus 27:30 the Bible says, “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.”
Israel was to give the first 10% to God, and then live on the remaining 90%. They were to bring the best of what they had to God.
That wasn’t because God needed anything from them, God wanted them to learn to live generous lives because of what He wanted FOR them.
In God’s economy, we are blessed to be a blessing and living generously towards our neighbors and trusting God with our finances is how we experience the abundant life God has for us.
Put God to the Test
Fast forward the end of the Old Testament and we have this moment in Israel’s history where they are not bringing a tithe to God. They were withholding their tithes from God and what they were bringing as an offering was far from their best.
God speaks through the prophet Malachi and challenges the people to test Him! Why?
Because He wants to bless them.
You see, the blessing of God is rooted in our faith in God. And there may be no better way to demonstrate our dependance on God than giving him the first 10%!
Giving 10%?
In the New Testament there is no command to give 10% of our income.
Jesus taught that we should give generously to those in need, be wise stewards of what God has given us, and to be thankful for God’s provision and trust that He will always provide exactly what we need.
For Jesus, sacrificial giving and living is the way of the Kingdom of God. This impacts every facet of our lives, including our finances.
For many Christians, giving 10% is a helpful guide and they have found that God can do more with 90% than we can do with 100%.
For all Christians, giving is a matter of the heart. So before you decide how much you want to give, may I suggest you start with these 3 things.
3 Guiding Questions:
- PRAY
First, Pray. Any decision about giving should be rooted in conversation with God. In prayer we come before God for wisdom, grace, and guidance. When our decision about giving is a prayerful decision, we honor God.
2. GIVE IN FAITH
Second, decide to give in Fatih. Anyone can give from their abundance. But sacrificial giving requires you give more than just from what’s left over.
In 2 Samuel 24 there’s a moment when David goes to build an altar to the Lord. The person who owned the place and had what David needed to build the alter and make a sacrifice to worship God wanted to give it all to David. But David said, “No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the LORD my God that have cost me nothing.”
If we only give from our abundance and it costs us nothing, is it really a sacrificial gift? What would it look like for you to give in faith?
3. BE A CHEERFUL GIVER
Third, after thoughtful prayer and a decision to give rooted in faith, be a Cheerful Giver. In 2 Corinthians 9.7 the Apostle Paul writes, “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”
When we give generously with a heart of joy we put out trust in God who has promised to generously provide all that we need!
How much should you give?
That’s a decision that is between you and God.
My prayer is that what you give allows God to grow your faith and make you more like Christ who gave everything so we could live.
Want more from this Series… Click here.
Want to understand WHY we should Give? Click here.
