Tithing is both a necessary and important concept to the Christian faith and to be a good steward of the finances that God has blessed you with. It IS Biblical because the Israelites were required by law to give 10% of their income back to the Lord. The Israelites are God’s chosen people and the Law was God’s commandment to us to obey. As far as I am concerned disregarding the Old Testament would be heretical. This new wave of evangelicals deciding for themselves about tithing and whether it is important or not, amplifies our individualistic culture. See these verses to understand the Law about tithing, Leviticus 27:30, Numbers 18:26, Deuteronomy 14:24, and 2 Chronicles 31:5. It is disappointing that people can be so dismissive when it comes to something as serious and authoritative as Scripture.
We are called to give our full, our all to God. He did not merely call us to be good, but to be great. Doing, “the best you can do,” is not sufficient. You should be able to trust the Giver of your paycheck to take care of your check. It wasn’t your originally, give back what isn’t yours. Ever heard the phrase, “return it better than you found it,” that should apply to tithing, return the money to where you found it better, possibly with an offering.
I have faith that there are enough Christians out there who still believe in the inerrancy of Scripture to understand that tithing is not an option, but a command. As much as I am guilty of questioning the necessity of tithing, struggling financially can either motivate to move one away from tithing or to the Lord in obedience. As a good preacher once said to me, “You were born buck-naked, and you will die buck-naked.” Just remember this when you are keeping your money (which is His) from God.
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