Tithing

I believe that we should be willing to give all our time, talents, and possessions to Christ, and to the building up of His kingdom, if called upon to do so. That being said, Christ doesn’t ask for us to give Him everything we have, only to be willing and ready to do so. What Christ does ask for is a tithe. Webster’s Diction defines a tithe as “a tenth part of something paid as a voluntary contribution or as a tax especially for the support of a religious establishment.” In this case we are asked to pay one-tenth of our increase, or income, as a tithe to support God’s church. Malachi 3:10 says, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

I think we can agree that Christ requires ten percent of our income. That is a well established number in the gospel. Some may think that they cannot afford to give ten percent, or justify that it’s ok to pay less, but according to Malachi you cannot afford to miss the blessings of paying a full tithe. The ten percent is a question of faith. Do you believe that Christ will open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing? If you believe then you contribute. An excellent example of faith in the law of tithing can be found in Mark chapter 12, verses 42-44. The widow gave two mites, and that sum was greater than all the other contributions, because she gave all that she had. She gave these two mites because she had faith that God would bless her for doing so. She understood what blessings she would receive and wanted them badly enough to give everything she had.