Giving when times are tough…
“Should we tithe if we cannot afford to?”
This was a genuine question I received recently that I bet a lot of people are wondering.
With our budgets being squeezed on every side (more than we could have imagined!) “tithing” can perhaps feel like God is doing even more squeezing… on top of inflation, taxes, taxes, taxes, and life in general.
“He's a kind God isn’t he?”
“Would he really want me to be tithing when he sees how hard off we are?!”
I can feel the grief of this question.
About 7 years ago my husband and I drew a line in the sand and said “NO MORE” to debt. It led us to the tightest budget we have ever experienced.
Even after paying off our debt we had so little margin that building up a wise amount of savings would (by the world’s math) take DECADES.
We were faced with the same dilemma, “Should we stop giving to our church for a season and use that money to pay down debt or save instead?”
This is where priorities come into play
Before I start to answer this question, I feel the need to be upfront about a few things I believe.
The first is that the Bible is true. What it says is trustworthy.
The second is that “tithing”, as talked about in the Bible, is a helpful principle for our financial walk and nothing more. It is not a command we must follow as the Israelites did. Giving 10% to church is found nowhere in the Bible- it’s simply a principle (that my heart is grieved to see has been used as a weapon to cause so very much harm in the church at times…)
Want to know how I’ve come to this conclusion?
Check out the tithing highlight on my Instagram for some theological nerdiness or check out this book
So where does that land us?
is the answer simply that if we can’t afford it we don’t have to give at all?!
Not if we truly believe that the money in our hands is God’s and that we are meant to manage it in a way that he would want us to.
One of the biggest ways we do that is by prioritizing the things he prioritizes. What was one of the biggest priorities Jesus left us with?
To spread the gospel to the ends of the earth making disciples! Impacting the Kingdom of God.
Using our money to impact others for Christ is the highest priority for us as Beleivers.
on another note…
Did you ever notice when God tells us not to be worried about our life in the same breathe tells us to seek FIRST the kingdom of God?
Sarah’s paraphrase of Matthew 6
“I am God. I see every bill you have to pay- and I get it. Don’t you believe I have my eyes on the ones I love?? (aka YOU!!)
Stop being all worried about it and trust that what I have for you is best! Worry about the stuff that really matters, like eternity! Consider that first!”
The question we’re forced to ask ourselves in conclusion isn’t “Do I have to tithe if I cannot afford to”
but
“What can I do to prioritize kingdom impact with God’s money he’s given me to manage?”
