The topic of tithe makes me uncomfortable. I always imagine some preacher, usually dressed in a greasy white suit, and for some reason with a southern accent, imploring his congregation to give on faith as he passes the tithe baskets around one more time. Maybe its from the tele-evangelists.
Anyway, tithing doesn't seem to be a popular topic. Probably because it makes most of us feel bad. A 2007 survey by the Barna Group found that 24% of evangelicals tithed. In the most affluent society in the history of the world, only a quarter of us find ourselves able to shell out 10% of our income to do God's work. I don't believe tithing is usually a problem of ability, but rather a problem of attitude.
In 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, Paul explains, “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
So what does this mean? I don't believe we should necessarily focus on the 10% mark as what we should give. To me, this is holding to law. Instead, we should practice this principle of giving cheerfully from what we have. If everyone committed to giving what he felt called by God to give, and did so with a cheerful heart, I think giving would increase. People would eventually give over 10% because they would see that the more they gave, the more they “reaped.” We must trust God to be faithful, and not give out of compulsion, but out of love.
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You're absolutely right, I think. We should give out of a cheerful heart, because we love God and we want to follow what He has asked us to do. It's really hard to understand why tithing should be such a difficult topic for Christians. Why would we not want to give back to God who has given so much to us?
ReplyDeleteMike