Most Christians know that tithing means giving away the first 10% of what you earn. After all, “tithe” means “tenth.” But lots of people are unsure if the Bible calls them to give those first-fruits to their local church specifically. Is it okay, they wonder, to send their tithe to another ministry or Christian organization instead?It’s a great question! And Malachi 3:10 (NIV) gives a clear answer: Yes, your tithe should go to your local church.
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.
The storehouse in that verse was the temple in Jerusalem, the house of God. Today’s version of that is the local church—the place you go to worship God.
Now, there’s one caveat to all this: God calls us to give cheerfully. So, when you give your tithe to your church, you need to feel comfortable with the results. You need to trust your church’s leadership to use that money to honor God’s call (while remembering that no church is perfect). But if you disagree with how your church is spending the money, it might be time tofind a new church, not withhold your tithe.
And remember this: The tithe is really a baseline for giving. If you feel God calling you to give above and beyond the tithe, then feel free to give outside of the church. Jesus, after all, modeled generosity that went far beyond a set percentage. His giving was radical and crazy enough to make His truth irresistible to the people who witnessed it.
And of course, Psalm 24:1 reminds us that all of our money is really God’s, not just the tithe. So, the goal should always be to manage 100% for Him, whether you’re saving it, spending it or giving it.
The one spiritual discipline I think many of us resist is generosity, but we must give if we’re going to become more like God. That’s because God is the ultimate Giver: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, NASB).
God knows we’re at our best when we give.
We can understand giving on three levels: small offerings; tithing (the scriptural mandate to give 10% of your earnings to your local church); and radical, mind-blowing generosity. But, you might wonder, is it okay to put giving on hold when you’re throwing every extra dime at your debt?
The Bible never mentions anything about hitting the pause button on tithing. Now, it doesn’t say we’ll go to hell if we don’t tithe, but the tithe is clearly a scriptural command from God. In fact, in Malachi 3:10, God actually promises to bless us if we faithfully tithe.
Here’s something else . . . Many people have noticed that when they stop tithing, their finances seem to get worse. Whoa. That’s why I would never suggest pausing it to pay down debt. You can probably find other areas to trim if you try. If we can’t live off 90% of our income, then we probably can’t live off 100% either.
Here’s what I recommend: When you make your next monthly budget, pay God first. Then use what you have left to pay yourself. Take care of food, shelter, transportation and clothing. Then attack those debts. I promise if you stick to the plan, you’ll have them paid off soon enough.And as you give, remember to do it with a full heart. As Paul told the Christians in Corinth, that’s what God’s concerned with most:
“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” (2 Corinthians 9:7, NIV).
I won’t be mad at you for not tithing because Jesus certainly was not. But I encourage you to continue doing it even as you dig your way out of debt. Once you’re debt-free and you’ve taken care of your own household’s needs (1 Timothy 5:8), you can blow people away with your generosity and maybe even win a few hearts for Christ.
Now that’s what God loves to see.
(Does My Giving Have to go to a Church?” by Stewardship and Chris Brown, excerpted from Stewardship).