Thoughts on Tithing, Part 1

People often ask me about tithing.

Are Christians required to tithe? If so, how much?

Does giving to this or that count as part of my tithe? And so on.

I want to use the next few posts to provide an overview of my view on the nature of tithing for followers of Jesus. But before we go there, start by clicking here. Hilarious! In my experience, humor can often serve as a good buffer. And when it comes to money, a buffer is exactly what is needed.

Here is why...

I know of few other topics that cause people to get more uptight than money. Nothing makes people squirm faster than talking about the thin green line.

One of the reasons why is because churches have sometimes used financial resources given through tithes and offerings to pad their pockets. We have all seen the televangelists making their sales pitch--"If you give x amount of dollars in the next 10 minutes, you will get the following ____. Simply call 1-800-PREACHY!" And the craziest thing is that people actually call in and give! So some people have an allergic reaction to discussing money because of how poorly some church have stewarded their resources. They think all churches are money-hungry and are just looking to build bigger buildings and have cooler stages.

But there are other reasons why people get squeamish about money-talk. Others get uncomfortable because they like their money. At the end of the day, they have a tight grip on their money and they genuinely don't want to give it away or be told that they ought to do so. They love their toys, their dinners out, their hobbies, their gadgets, and they don't want to hear anything that would infringe upon their lifestyle they are set on maintaining. Money-talk makes them nervous, and even upset, because it challenges the way they are living their lives.

There may still be other reasons why people do not like the church talking money, but whatever the reason, I find it quite interesting that money was the second most frequent topic that Jesus discussed--second to the kingdom of God! Jesus had a lot to say about it. And if Jesus had a lot to say about it, perhaps it is worth discussing what Jesus had to say about it.

So in the next post I am going to give an overview of what I think the Bible has to say about the nature of tithing for followers of Jesus Christ. And just to give you an idea of where we are headed, one of the questions I will be considering is whether or not Christians are required to tithe 10% of their income. So stay tuned.