shel – I come from a selfish generation that wants to feel good but contribute little. It’s Easier to Talk about Gay Marriage than Money for 20-30 year olds in Sioux Falls. But I absolutely believe in giving 10% of my income to the local church I am spiritual family with. In the OT the people gave in some years 30%+ of income to various support and 10%/first fruits to the ministry of the levites. In the NT the principle is grace-based but no where are we called to give less! Paul teaches the ministers are worthy of their wage and also collects alms for disaster relief. Jesus is more challenging with using our resources for ministry.
Anne & I not only tithe before we even pay the mortgage, we also give alms, to special funds, etc. BUT that is NEVER the 10% it is offering or alms-giving above that. 10% goes to the church we are part of as an act of worship to God.
Here is a great article on the subject:
When your bank account is empty and debts are mounting, how do you get your finances under control?
By Glen D. Cole
I read the fine print on my MasterCard: “This card belongs to Crocker National Bank.”
I thought: That’s it. Today many belong to Crocker National Bank, Wells Fargo Bank or Bank of America. When they have a financial crisis, they look to their MasterCard rather than to their Master. When they do not have enough money to buy certain material objects, they whip out the plastic card. They think they have solved their money woes, only to plunge into financial devastation.
Proverbs 22:7 says, “The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.” This suggests that the borrower is selling his or her soul to the lender — which, more often than not, is a credit card company or bank. The misuse of credit cards is a major problem in financial disasters, but the primary problem is a spiritual one.
Here are five suggestions for giving the Master charge of your finances:
1. Pay your tithes and give your offerings. Malachi 3:8,9 says the one who refuses to pay tithes and give offerings has robbed God.
One-tenth of our earnings belongs to God. Jesus told the Pharisees: “For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone” (Matthew 23:23, NKJV). The New Testament message is one of stewardship: Everything belongs to God and we are to manage wisely what He puts in our care.
Many are having difficulties in their marriages and with their children because they are suffering the consequences of their decision to steal from God. When we give our tithes and offerings to Him, we give Him what He is due. A person who tithes says to God, “I am dependent on You. I am putting my faith in You to help me govern my affairs.”
2. Do not borrow money you cannot afford to pay back. According to God’s Word, you are a servant under bondage until your debt is paid. This is not to suggest that every person who owes on a mortgage, for example, is under bondage. The key here is that you pay that debt every month. If you do, the bank or lender cannot demand you surrender your house. There is nothing wrong with borrowing as long as you can afford to pay it back.
Some say they want to tithe, but they can’t start yet because they’re too much in debt. In other words, they stole from God to pay their creditors. I would prefer to have my accounts straight with Him and be in arrears with others. When I am straight with Him, God has ways to meet those financial obligations.
3. Use credit cards sparingly. The bill should be paid in full every 30 days. If you have lost the ability to control your credit cards, cut every card right down the middle.
4. Do not write checks when the money is not in the bank. If you overdraw your account, the bank will transfer the overdraft to a loan account with a high interest rate. Employing overdraft protection is a poor habit, and writing checks that cannot be honored by the bank is not pleasing to God.
5. Buy wisely. When you face a significant purchase, ask: Will this purchase please God? Is it reasonable? Is it on sale?
If stores are going to have sales, I am going to wait for them. There are times to buy, and there are times not to buy.
By applying these five principles, you will be well on your way to putting the Master in charge of your finances.
Glen D. Cole is superintendent of the Northern California—Nevada District of the Assemblies of God.
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From our controversial Issues statement:
Do you believe in Tithing?
In the Old Testament book of Genesis, chapter 14, Abraham personified the spirit of giving that is taught in both the Old and New Testaments. We have come to refer to this spirit or attitude toward giving as the “spirit of the tithe,” and it is characterized by the following:
1. a belief that everything I have belongs to God.
Abraham said, “Lord God most high, possessor of heaven and earth, everything I have belongs to you….” In this spirit, Abraham gave a tenth of what he had to the Lord because a tenth in that culture was symbolic of the whole. The Scripture teaches that we are caretakers of the earth and its resources which belong to God, and we will be held accountable for how we use these gifts.
In the Old Testament God required the Israelites to give a considerable amount, much of it the first fruits of their harvest, to symbolize their gratitude, their dependence, and their trust in Him to provide for them. This discipline of giving was designed to keep their devotion centered on God as their loving provider, rather than on the material things themselves which lead to idolatry and greed. This required giving was also the means by which the needs of the people as a nation were provided for.
In the New Testament this principle of giving remains the same. The parables of Jesus repeatedly illustrate that we are not owners but stewards and heirs, entrusted with the resources of the kingdom of God. We will be held accountable for how we manage these gifts.
The discipline of giving continues to keep our focus on God as our loving provider and our only hope both spiritually and physically, and breaks the bondage of materialism (idolatry) and greed. The discipline of giving a tithe is not for God’s benefit, but for ours. God has need of nothing, but he wants us to be in relationship with Him and with others. Giving generously and sacrificially reconnects us to our dependence on God and His gifts to us; it also connects us with the needs and lives of others.
In the New Testament, the discipline of giving is also the means through which the needs of the people in the community of faith are met. We are commanded to care and provide for one another, for our spiritual leaders, and for the poor. What is not needed to provide and care for our families is to be used to provide for and minister to the needs of others, the church, and the advancement of the kingdom of God.
This belief has practical applications for how we live as believers. First, we must endeavor to live simply, and without debt as much as possible so that we are free to give and to go where God calls us. Second, we give, not only of our money, but also of our time, our talents, our expertise, our bodily strength and energy in service to God, who gave all of Himself to us. Third, we give priority in giving to the church as the community or family that cares for us, like we care for our own families, and we give to other organizations and individuals seeking to minister to the needs of others so that the sacrificial giving message of the Gospel is
declared in both word and deed. Fourth, a very practical, legitimate, biblical way to affirm and maintain this “spirit of the tithe” is to tithe – to give a tenth as a symbol of the whole.
2. a celebratory attitude of gratitude.
As Romans 12:1 instructs, we give everything we have – our very selves – in response to the great mercy and love of God which He pours out on us in Jesus Christ. For a believer the act of giving is one of deep thanksgiving and praise. It is an acknowledgment and celebration of our dependent relationship with God and his generous and extravagant provision. It is an expression of our faith and an act of worship.
The Assemblies of God also has a great statement on tithing worth exploring. It’s comes down to a heart attitude regarding the value of the local church, the idolatry of control of money and spiritual discipline: http://ag.org/top/Beliefs/topics/gendoct_06_tithing.cfm