Tithing: More Than Money

I grew up being taught to tithe, but I never really understood what tithing was. One question always confused me: if everyone is required to tithe, why don't children tithe? (I'm still trying to figure that one out!)

As I grew older and moved from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Russell, Kansas, and back to Tulsa, I attended churches that regularly taught about tithing. I was working, struggling financially, and couldn't understand why people said God would bless those who tithed. I tried giving, but my life didn't seem to get easier, and I certainly wasn't becoming rich.

Looking back, I realized my heart was in the wrong place. I wasn't giving out of love or trust. I was giving because I hoped God would make my life better financially. In reality, I was trying to serve both God and money.

Jesus said in Matthew 6:24, "No one can serve two masters... You cannot serve both God and money." I didn't realize it then, but my security was found more in my paycheck than in the One who provided it.

I also wrestled with Malachi 3:10, where God says,

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw"

I started feeling convicted by the Lord and repenting because I realized I had misunderstood God's heart. Tithing was never about earning His favor or becoming wealthy, I was about trusting Him. I realized I wasn't just withholding money, I was withholding trust. In doing so, I was robbing myself of the joy that comes from generosity, robbing others of a blessing God may have wanted to give through me, and robbing God of the worship that rightfully belonged to Him. I had become so focused on what I didn't have that I had forgotten everything God had already given me. Instead of giving cheerfully, I had become fearful, bitter, and transactional. God wasn't after my wallet; He was after my heart.

Eventually, I stopped tithing altogether. I thought, "What's the point? I'm not getting rich, and my life isn't improving." I also wrestled with difficult questions: What about the poor? What about the homeless? If churches preach about giving, shouldn't they also care for those in need? Those are honest questions, and many people ask them. Scripture makes it clear that God cares deeply for the poor and calls His people to do the same.

Proverbs 19:17 says, "Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will reward them for what they have done." At the same time, we need to be careful not to become cynical. Wealth doesn't automatically make someone greedy, and poverty doesn't automatically make someone righteous. Everything changed for me while I was living in Foley, Alabama. I was working at a daycare, trying to survive in an expensive area, and struggling with resentment toward the Church. Through a conversation with my pastor's wife, God began to change my perspective. I realized that tithing wasn't about earning God's favor or becoming wealthy. It was about trusting Him with what He had already given me. God doesn't need our money. Everything we have already belongs to Him.

Psalm 24:1 reminds us, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it." Tithing and generosity are acts of worship, gratitude, and trust.

The apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 9:7, "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." We aren't buying God's blessings or earning His grace; we are responding to His grace. Since then, I have tried to give not because I expect something in return, but because I want to honor God. Whether I have little or much, I want my heart to remain generous. I've learned that God's greatest blessings aren't always financial. Sometimes His greatest gift is teaching us to trust Him, whether we are living in abundance or in need. As

Philippians 4:19 reminds us, "And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus." God's greatest promise is not that we will become wealthy, but that He will faithfully care for His children.

Scripture References

Malachi 3:10 – Bringing the whole tithe into the storehouse and trusting God.

Matthew 6:24 – "You cannot serve both God and money."

Proverbs 19:17 – "Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord..."

Psalm 24:1 – "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it."

2 Corinthians 9:7 – "God loves a cheerful giver."

Philippians 4:19 – "And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus."

Additional Scriptures for Further Study

Leviticus 27:30 – The tithe belongs to the Lord.

Deuteronomy 14:22–23 –The purpose of tithing was to teach Israel to revere the Lord.

Proverbs 3:9–10 – Honor the Lord with your wealth and the firstfruits of your increase.-

Acts 20:35 – "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

1 Timothy 6:17–19 – A warning against putting hope in wealth and an encouragement to be generous.