Six Things You Need To Know About Tithing

You have probably heard the term "tithing," but you may not know what it means.  If you are a Christian, and if you want to be an obedient Christian, then you need to understand tithing.  Here are six quick things you need to know.  

One:  Tithing is bringing the first 10% of your income to the local church.  Tithing is not a synonym for giving, or donating, or offering.  The word "tithe" actually means a tenth.

Two:  Tithing is a command.  All Christians are commanded to tithe.  "Bring the full tenth into the storehouse so that there may be food in my house (Mal 3:10)."  "Every tenth of the land’s produce, grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord (Lev 27:30)."  Tithing is not optional.  It is not a suggestion.  It is imperative.

Three:  Tithing is not dependent upon income.  Tithing is required of the rich and the poor.  

Four:  The tithe is the first fruits.  It should be the first check your write.  In other words, your tithe should be your financial priority.  It is not something that you do at the end of the month if there is any money left over.  "Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first produce of your entire harvest (Pr 3:9)."

Five:  Tithing is a serious matter.  During the days of the prophet Malachi, the entire nation of Israel was under a curse for neglecting to tithe (Mal 3:8-9).  This passage says that not tithing is robbing God.  

Six:  Tithing comes with the promise of rewards.  "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 Armies. See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure (Mal 3:10-12; see also Pr 3:9-10)."  You may feel that you cannot afford to tithe, but the truth is that you can't afford to NOT tithe.

Lydia and I have been married for eighteen years, and by God's grace, we have always tithed.  Every month.  We tithed when we lived in the upstairs room of a barn.  We tithed when we lived in a friend's RV.  We tithed when we were poor students at seminary.  We tithed when we started a brand new church.  We tithed when we were a two-income family, and we continue to tithe as a single-income family.  We tithed when the church was prospering, and we tithed when the church was struggling.  We tithed when we had six little ones, and now that we have six teens and tweens.  We tithed when I had one job, and we tithed when I had two jobs.  And God has always proven faithful and generous.  We have always had way more than we need, and way better than we deserve.  You truly can't out-give God.