One of the few Christian teachings I have been able to obey without question right from the very start is that of tithing: giving ten percent of income to the church in which I am a member.
When I went on maternity leave and we started living on one income, calculating our tithe became trickier, as my husband is self-employed. We decided to tithe on the amount he earned after taxes and materials (cost of business) were deducted.
During our recent time of financial hardship, I felt that God was challenging us to tithe on our gross income, before taxes etc, actually increasing our giving when it seemed we could least afford it. I ignored this prompting for some time, but God was persistent, and eventually I submitted.
I am still not sure why God required this of us, or how we managed to pay this as well as all our other expenses, when our income was so low; but we are now able to testify to God’s faithful provision for us, and to rejoice that we are able to participate in giving towards God’s work in partnership with our church.
My opinion is that tithing is not a legalistic requirement God places on us; but rather an opportunity to develop the habit of generousity, which enlarges our hearts. So if I was asked this question by someone in a similar position, I would advise that this is a matter for each individual or couple to take to the Lord in prayer.
What are your beliefs about tithing?
1 comment:
Hey Penny....I've been wanting to write something for days about this...yes we all should tithe, even if it's pocket change. I think it teaches us to give without conditions and that includes when things get tough. God teaches us many things in different ways and I think this is how he teaches us to "budget". Great write up Penny!
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