Giving to God is something we should all want to do out of a grateful heart. Yet, one of the hardest lessons for many new Christians is the obligation of tithing. Several reasons attribute to this. First, many do not get saved until they are already adults with mortgages, car payments, kids, and expensive hobbies. They are already strapped for money, and now they are being told 10% is already God’s! Second, many feel that if they give their time the money is not important. That is NOT what the Bible teaches. Plus, I’ve never seen a preacher buy groceries with your time. Some say it’s Old Testament and it does not apply. I believe it does apply and even more so in the New Testament.
Tithing is a matter of the heart. Matthew 6:21 says “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” When we give 10% or more of our income instead of keeping that money for ourselves, it shows that our heart isn’t tied to our money and that we love God more than our money.
In the New Testament, more than half of Jesus’ parables talk about money. Why? Probably because we associate money with everything we do. Nothing is free, and we are selfish creatures. When we work for something we think it is ours. When we settle the issue of giving God at least 10% of our income, it shows our money doesn’t have a controlling grip on our lives.
It is not a difficult act of obedience when we realize everything we have is a gift from him. The ability to earn a living is an opportunity he gives us. He gives us the strength and mental ability to do the job.
In the book of Acts, the New Testament church was established and they took care of one another. The 10% was a starting point, but they went well beyond the 10%. They loved one another enough to give freely for the betterment of their Christian brethren.
Act 2:44-46 “And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart”
God never requires anything of us that does not come with a blessing. Notice Malachi 3:10, “if you will tithe he will open the windows of heaven, and pour out a blessing that can not be contained.”
Examine yourself. When was the last time you gave and felt the blessings overflow? How long has it been since your soul swelled up with gratitude because of the blessings of God? You can’t outgive God. I can assure you He has much more to give you than you could ever give Him. He has already proven that by giving us Jesus to redeem us from our sins and the punishment of eternal hell. In Malachi 3:10, we find the only time in the Bible where God says to prove Him or test Him to see how He will react to our surrendering what we have to Him.
Malachi 3:10 “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”
