Tithing

This being my first post on this blog, I wanted to share with you the blessings associated with tithing.

The Bible instructs us to tithe (10 percent), of our income. We should give 10 percent of our first fruits to the church. In order to receive, you must give. It's all very simple and it is indeed a great blessing.

Our first fruits simply means that it should be 10 percent of our gross pay --before taxes are taken out. At first this idea may sound overwhelming. For many that 10 percent sounds quite a bit especially when you consider it to come from the gross amount rather than take home pay. It seems that so many of us live from paycheck to paycheck struggling to make ends meet. You may ask yourself, "How am I going to give what I really do not have?" A better question should be, "Why haven't I taken the time to give before?"


It doesn't matter if you believe in G-d, Jesus, or anything else. Tithing is the law of the universe and I assure you that once you let go of your apprehension, you will enjoy a great blessing that comes with consistent tithing.

2 Corinthians 9:7 ESV
Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for G-d loves a cheerful giver. 

Malachi 3:10 ESV
Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 

Proverbs 11:24 ESV
One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.

Click here for more verses that pertain to tithing.

When it comes to where you tithe, I have found that I receive blessings no matter where I give, so long as it's something important to me, something positive, something that has given me a personal awakening, and/or something/someone that I believe in. Yes, the Bible does say church but for people like myself, I do not have a church. It seems that any I have attended have strayed so far away from the message of Jesus, I find difficulty in supporting them.

The word church in the Bible comes from the Greek word 'ekklesia' which means assembly. Simply put, I believe this is a fairly open-translation, unlike what many Christians or other believers assume the word to mean -- an actual building or place where Christians gather. I would argue that our current use of the word is too stringent and that indeed we can give to organizations or people we feel are doing good works for others. However, this post is not about arguing Bible specifics/theology. I am merely sharing with you what my experience has been as it pertains to tithing. I can tell you with confidence that it has been a great experience and G-d has most certainly paid me back -- more blessings than I can even count.

Sure, the skeptic will say that those things would have happened anyway. I say, go ahead and be a skeptic. Go ahead and put G-d to the test. After all, G-d wants you to put Him to the test (Malachi 3:10, above). Go ahead and try it and see how logical math turns into miracle math. To this day, I really have no idea how it is I am able to tithe, pay all my bills, and still have some money left over. Before tithing, any calculation I attempted to make would work out to me being in the red. I initially protested the idea of tithing because I could not figure out how in the world I was going to survive. I was the one in need; why should I give? Of course I look back at these thoughts with embarrassment but I tell you them because perhaps you too are having these thoughts. I have been there. I know what you might be feeling. I can only say that if you are struggling from month to month just to get by, you NEED to tithe. You must tithe in order to get out from under your financial curse. Money cannot come to you if you do not give.

Interestingly, there was a period of my life where I had stopped tithing. Even though I knew the blessings attached to its action, I had made the foolish decision to go backwards. It's a complicated story that I will spare you but simply put, I became weak. This period of my life was quite a struggle for me however, I can say that G-d did not give up on me. He still gave me blessings that came from unpredictable sources but once I got back on my feet, I had decided I needed to tithe again. I am so grateful I made that decision. Now that I am tithing again, my income has increased, my life has opened up new opportunities, my world has become more calm, etc., etc. I have been blessed greatly. I simply cannot put into words the gratitude I have. I do believe miracles have occurred.

If you continue to give, G-d will see that as your expression of faith and He will want to bless you with more money so that you will be able to give more money. It really is that simple. It does take some faith but if you're already in debt or having problems, then you really have nothing to lose by giving one dollar for every ten that you make. When you think about it, it's really not that much money G-d asks for. After you tithe, things begin to happen; these are things you simply will not be able to explain away logically, at least not for long.

In addition to receiving blessings, you will also feel the blessings of giving. It truly is a great feeling of bliss to know you are helping others in some small way. The act of tithing should be something you feel good about and the more you tithe, the better you will feel. In fact, you may initially be a little reluctant to tithe but after sometime it will become exciting to you. It will be the very first thing you will want to do. You will change in ways that will help you mature and become more grateful for what you have in your life.

There are many people who like to argue that tithing is no longer required under the new covenant but, I disagree. There are many places in the New Testament that instruct you to give. You are not to brag about your giving or compare the amount you give with what others have given. Ten percent for a millionaire may indeed be a larger amount but a poor person giving their ten percent is equal to G-d. Your tithe should be about your personal spirituality and growth.

Are you ready to tithe? I pray you are so that you too may experience the joy associated with doing so.