Imagine having a favorite restaraunt that you patronize every Sunday. You enjoy the food, the ambiance, the great service, the variety of choices on the menu, and the wait staff who serve you. Envision how the owner of the restaraunt would feel if you just left the restaraunt without paying for your bill week after week. Is your first reaction, “Who would do this?!” That sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Well, this scenario is not happening in restaraunts, but according to Barna’s research I shared in my last post, it is happening in places of worship across America.
According to Barna, thirty to fifty percent of active church attenders are patronizing their favorite house of worship, enjoying the fellowship, hearing the Word of God preached well, experiencing a loving atmosphere, appreciating the variety of ministries available to their families and the staff who serve them week after week. You guessed it. When the worship experience is over, they walk right out the door without giving anything financially. That’s disconcerting if these attenders are really believers. Barna’s research also reveals that this lack of giving is not exclusive to any one denomination. In fact, the lack of giving feels like an epidemic that has swept many churches across many denominations. How do these attenders justify not giving?
There are a multitude of hypotheses. Some attenders may not have a Christian upbringing. They weren’t taught God’s command to give a tenth to their local church. Some may feel their debt keeps them from giving. Others may rationalize they are giving their time and talents in ministry, so giving isn’t required, or optional. Some think their giving to outside organizations satisfies God’s requirement to give. Some may understand they should give ten percent to the local church, but fear or lack of faith in God to provide for the rest of their expenses keep them from giving. Regardless of their rationale, it doesn’t change the fact we have a gross deficiency of giving in the local church. Another fact remains. God feels robbed when we don’t give our tithes according to Malachi 3:8. The Lord accuses the Israelite nation of “turning away from his decrees and having not kept them.” Either we have a bunch of unbelievers who aren’t giving (in which case they’re excused because they don’t know any better), or we have a large swath of believers filling the pews who are either ignorant or ignoring God’s decree while not understanding the blessings of giving.
The Lord challenges the Israelites to bring their tithe into the storehouse (the local church). In Mal 3:10 He says, “Test me in this, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” His decree comes with a reward! But the flipside is also true. The Lord says in Mal 3:9 to the Israelites, “You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me.” In verse 11 you see what the curse looks like, unless they follow through and honor God with their tithe. It says, “I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit.” The Lord implies He will not bless their livelihood if they keep withholding the ten percent belonging to the Lord. When I read this passage, I wonder, “What do these attenders not get about the blessings of giving that await them if they would just do it?!” God is just waiting to “pour out so much blessing that you won’t have room to contain them!”
This boggles my mind. Yes, I know this is a reflection of their spiritual condition. But the larger question is, “How do we help them respond to God’s command?” I have heard pastors preach wonderful sermons on the requirement of giving. They work hard to motivate and inspire giving without guilting people, but they still don’t see the change. In the meantime, half the congregation is attending without giving while enjoying the benefits of being connected to a local body of believers. I wish these attenders would connect there is an expectation to give because God has asked them to tithe.
Why did I spend so much time on the subject of honoring God with our tithes? There are two reasons. First, if the desire of our heart is to be a generous giver just like God, then our generosity has to start with God. Give generously to God first, others second. What that means is give God a “thank you” note of 10% of your income wherever you’re actively attending before considering generosity toward others. He deserves that even if He had never asked for it! Everything I write to hopefully inspire a lifestyle of generous giving should never be construed to be in lieu of the tithe. Any living giving I describe should be above and beyond our minimum 10% “thank you” note to God. Thus, as I share my living giving vision, it needs to be understood that the blessings of God will be all over our giving as long as we are not robbing God His tithe. I know without a doubt my life has been filled with many blessings because I have not short-changed God.
Second, I don’t want anyone left behind in becoming a generous giver. So if you don’t tithe, I am getting ready to be your top cheerleader! I will be writing a series of posts for the sole goal of helping you succeed in tithing and bring you on board. One fun way to begin is to start sharing our stories. I bet tithing believers reading this post share my desire to help you experience the blessings God is waiting to pour out on you if you would risk with Him!
By way of this post, I am calling upon tithers to help these attenders with your story. When did you begin to tithe, and how did you see God bless you when you obeyed Him? Perhaps you used to be one of the attenders who struggled to give a tithe. What was your rationale at the time you weren’t giving? What helped you turn the corner to start tithing? Did your spouse drag you into it, only to discover God’s blessings later? Did you feel a conviction to tithe? Have you ever regretted tithing?
I am inviting all tithing believers to pray about sharing your story of how tithing has blessed you. If you feel God is leading you to do so, you may leave a comment through the blog site or email me. Your story can be one sentence, or as long as you want it. Five minutes of your time to type up your story can change the life of attenders who are struggling to honor God with their tithe. It is my prayer that enough of you will share your story so I can publish a separate post of your testimonies. I will be glad to give you anonymity if you request it. Our stories have power because God is right in the middle of them. Let’s be an encourager. May God bless you as you share your story to inspire those who need to take this very important step to be generous to God first, others second.
Blessings, Lee Ann
I began tithing in High School. I don’t remember exactly when or why, but I do remember putting my cash in the plate and feeling like it was the best money spent out of my whole paycheck. I usually gave the 10% rounded up and more if I felt led. It’s so true that it’s easier to give out of little than an abundance. In high school and college I didn’t make much but I gave. I still gave once I got a real job, but I began writing checks instead of using cash so it became more exact and a routine as opposed to praying about the amount. Then I got married. I never asked him before we got married what he believed about tithing, but I soon found out. Some friends asked if we would support them in their work with Campus Crusade and we agreed. My husband even said we could give them $100 a month. I was astounded he was being so generous then I found out he meant for that to come out of the tithe to the church. I didn’t argue because the wife is under the husband, right? Fast forward a few years and we start budgeting. My husband wanted to make the tithe a set, monthly amount. Great, except as it turned out this was short of the actual ten % by a ways and we never took out a tithe from our extra jobs as well. Once I realized what was happening I started taking out more to make up for it. And now I’m praying about how to convice my husband that we need to give the full 10% to the church and the rest is above that. I know he doesn’t agree.
Looking back to high school, I wish things were simple like that again. I don’t feel God’s pleasure with me monetarily like I did then. I don’t feel I’m honoring Him like I did then. But what do you do when what is supposed to be the other HALF of you doesn’t want to go there? I feel like we are just living for ourselves and it makes me want to throw myself up. Jesus is going to spit us out of his mouth if we dont’ do something about it. Rev 3:16-18
Hi, Alaina:
First, I feel a burden for you after reading your comment. I know that you have a deep desire to follow in obedience to God’s command, and you are in a difficult position given that your husband doesn’t agree that the first 10% should be tithed to the local church. I affirm your decision to not argue with him since I Peter 3:1-6 says the wife is to be submissive to her husband.
Second, while I pray for you and your situation, I have some ideas that I think would help you get to the place that the first 10% is going to the local church:
Idea #1: any extra jobs YOU do, tithe 100% of it to catch up your tithe. (I am assuming based on your account that you have flexibility with extra income to give it without necessarily getting your husband’s approval.)
Idea #2: Dave Ramsey has a budget line item entitled “Blow Money”, and he encourages a couple to determine a set amount of money that each spouse can spend that doesn’t require “approval” from the other! You could choose to allocate your “blow money” or discretionary spending to a tithe to help shore up the difference.
Idea #3: While praying for God’s guidance on how to convince your spouse to give the full 10%, process questions like, “What is your resistance to being blessed by God for giving more?” “What’s the worst thing that would happen if we gave the full 10% to the church and give the additional support above and beyond the first 10%?” I don’t sense that the real issue is being short on finances. The last paragraph of your response is so powerful! I wonder if you have shared with him exactly how you feel. The word picture is so poignant, and I wonder if your husband would take this more to heart knowing how it really makes you feel before God when the full 10% is not being given to the church.
I would love to talk to you further. I left you a message on Friday. Please know that I feel your pain, and I intend to pray about this situation with you. I am going to pray for “complete unity” in the area of giving and that your husband would hear your heart in this process. One thing you can rest assured is that God knows your heart and your desire to please Him, and God also knows you are being obedient to yield to the decision of your husband.
Blessings,
Lee Ann
Dear Lee Ann,
Thank you so much for your blog!
My wife and I have been tithing since we got married over 26 years ago. We have experienced lots of material blessings over the years, especially during the times I was out of work. We are excited about the Financial Peace University class we are currently attending, and the final goal of having plenty to give away.
I am curious to know what you would say: should our giving to ministries like Campus Crusade, MAF, and others be beyond tithing?
Hi, Bernhard and Jocyce!
I really believe the first 10% goes completely to the local church and any other giving to other ministries should be above and beyond the tithe. I have a set percentage above the 10% that I allocate to a variety of Christian ministries, missionaries, those who are called to ministry, etc. I hope that helps! I hope you had a Happy Easter. I am so excited that God has allowed our paths to cross!
Blessings,
Lee Ann
Dear Lee Ann,
Yes, we had a happy Easter. We gave 10% to our church today. Maybe that is why Dave Ramsey suggests giving 10-15%; the first ten to the church, and the rest to other ministries. Of course, I am aware that 10% is the minimum. RG LeTourneau, the founder of LeTourneau University, where I went to college, gave 90%.
Occasionally, the question of whether one should tithe on the gross or the net income comes up. My reasoning is this: Jesus said to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s. If we have no tax-exempt deductions from our paychecks, then the government gets a portion of the full gross income. Therefore it seems only reasonable that God gets a portion of the same gross income.
Greetings,
Bernhard
Hi, Bernhard:
You are so right that the question of tithing off of gross or net comes up regularly. Your reasoning is correct. Uncle Sam is not interested in calculating his share based on our “net” paycheck! We get to report the W-2 in full. Assuming you are an employee (vs self-employed, which has some variables to consider), I believe we should be tithing from the gross salary because that is what you are hired at! I love how Dave Ramsey and Randy Alcorn (a Christian author) respond to this: “Do you want to be blessed at gross, or net?!” I hope to blog on this in more detail and actually show the math on this.
Blessings,
Lee Ann
Dear Lee Ann,
It seems that my computer ate my reply a few minutes ago. So here it is again:
Thank you for encouraging us to love and good deeds! We gave 10% to our church today. Maybe that is why Dave Ramsey encourages people to give 10-15%; ten to the church, and the rest to other ministries. Now I am aware that RG LeTourneau, the founder of LeTourneau University, where I went to college, gave 90%.
The issue of whether to tithe on the gross or the net income comes up. Jesus said to give to Cesar what is Cesar’s, and to God what is God’s. If we have no tax-exempt deductions on our paycheck, we get taxed on the entire gross income. So it seems reasonable that God should get his part based on entire gross income.
Greetings,
Bernhard
Hey Lee Ann, great post! Hopefully the thoughts you’ve put out there will be read and taken to heart. I know from experience that it’s hard to give, especially when you feel as if you don’t have enough yourself. But that’s the faith you’re talking about isn’t it!
It’s an amazing phenomena that once you loosen the purse strings and start giving back to the God that gave us so much…He sees to our needs better than we ever could have. Still boggles my mind after all these years. Great faith requires great love. Once we accept that we are loved by God more than anything we can possibly imagine, it’s easy to put your faith in Him.
Thanks so much for reminding us. ♥
Thanks, Dana! I am praying that God will use these posts to INSPIRE giving.
Blessings,
Lee Ann