Tithing – The Real Motive

July 30, 2009 by EnnisP
Filed under: Giving, Philosophy

Some people tithe only to meet needs and the needs they give to are only the ones they are personally concerned about. Tithing, however, was never intended to meet a need. Tithing is a way of expressing your commitment to God, of developing a relationship with Him on a personal level, and showing solidarity with the people with whom you worship. Tithing is relationship driven not need driven.

The fact is, whatever you see as the need, and there are many, will never be fully met. Jesus said we would always have the poor with us. Your giving and mine will never totally eradicate the problem. Giving money isn’t the only or even best way to solve this problem anyway.

Need driven giving can be very frustrating for two reasons: One, there are so many different needs. Establishing consensus on which need to meet is not easy. Two, whichever one you choose will never be fully met.

One person is concerned about education, another is worried about evangelizing the lost and a third is concerned about the hungry. All of them are legitimate needs. None will be totally solved in this life. Hunger, sickness, poverty, and destitution, physically or spiritually, will never be completely eliminated and besides, any one of these needs is far bigger than most people think. The person who gives to meet needs will never be completely satisfied.

The proper motivation for tithing is love, commitment or obedience. If you see the need, great! If you don’t see the need, God is still to be honored! The principle should be observed even when we can’t agree on the need or the need is never fully met.

The question is never, “does God relate to us?” He has done much to show His interest in us and much of that has been expressed materially. The sun rises and the rain falls on EVERYONE and everyone benefits because of it. We would die without it. That is to say, God has made an effort to relate to every person materially. The question is what have we done in response? Tithing is a reasonable answer. It isn’t a stretch to believe God would honor a lost man for tithing.

Those who faithfully include God in the management of their finances are not promised wealth or material gratification immediately but they can expect security. They may have moments when they are down but they will never be destitute.

And, continuing to learn and implement good practices for managing finances coupled with tithing encourages even more growth materially. Consistent and regular giving (tithing) included in a well managed budget enables you to realize increase. It is one of the basic laws of the universe and no one says it better than Jesus:

Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you. Luke 6:38

Getting ahead financially requires more than just tithing but one thing you must have is a partnership with God and that is established through the tithe. Trying to get ahead without consistently including God in the budget is like trying to start a well maintained engine without fuel. It won’t happen!

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2 Comments on Tithing – The Real Motive

Tithing Us » Tithing Doesn't Meet Any Need | NowTHINK!AboutIt on Thu, 6th Aug 2009 8:39 pm

[...] Tithing Doesn't Meet Any Need | NowTHINK!AboutIt Categories: Tithing Tags: financially, financially-responsible, god, never-given, Tithing, [...]

Tithing Countermanded By Corruption? | NowTHINK!AboutIt on Sun, 27th Jun 2010 6:27 pm

[...] There are better ways to be charitable. Answered here and here. [...]

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