Tithe
After a lengthy, and slightly misguided debate about tithing with some 'friends' I've decided to tun to the blog world with some questions.
1. What is tithing to you?
2. If you tithe, why do you do it?
3. If you tithe, do you do it with money, or another way?
4. Percentage wise, how much do you tithe?
Leave your answers in the comments. You can comment annonymously if you don't want anybody to know what you said. I jsut really want to know what people out there in the real world think--not in this backwards town full of bobble-heads.
posted by Jen at
12:37 AM
2 Comments:
Well, this is a big one! Tithing, to us, is a gift of ourselves...both monetarily and physically. We do it simply because the Bible tells us to (okay, we TRY to - we're not there yet - read below). And, we've seen so many great things come from our tithing.
Like I said, we TRY to tithe. Right now, we're at about 6% and each year we give a little more. We also tithe with our time - we spend A LOT of time being involved in our church. Now, the boys definitely tithe. They give a true 10% of their allowance back to our church - and our older son is VERY aware of this...it has been a good lesson for him.
Tithing is an act, a practice, that has rapidly dissipated, I think. There are so many other factors playing against us nowadays...mortgages that are through the roof, car payments, gas, food prices...giving up 10% is difficult when you're sinking so much of what you make into just living.
7:22 AM
Hi there...
As I understand scripture and what God has directed me to do...is to give back but a small portion of what He has already given me. Early on, as scripture records, Abraham offered his 'first fruits' to God (the BEST of what he had). Somewhere.....could have been Abraham...I think there was a precedent of a 1/10 set. I have personally had the priviledge (through misfortune) to "start all over" and establish a budget as well as to set aside a 1/10 of my income to give to my local church. (where I was 'being fed' at the time). I faithfully kept this committment to God and He blessed me all over! I was a single mom of 3 living on a small income....but God was SO faithful! Years later, I was convicted to give a tenth of my gross income, instead of net. Once again.....God faithfully blessed me. Scripture is clear that blessings are a result of obedience. THAT is the reason I continue to tithe....after 16 years later. Over the years....more hardship but God always provided jobs, raises, advances and promotions...whatever it took to make sure I was financially blessed. I DO believe God blesses in other ways....other than financial....but this is a BIG way that I have seen God's faithfullness in my life. It is a JOY to give to Him. I will always tithe a minimum of ten percent of my income....including gifts, etc. In addition I try to give offerings. I may be a bit of a 'bobble-head' myself....I'm a committed, Jesus-loving Christian living in the middle of a very UNGODLY city in CT. I believe that tithing should be something that springs from one's heart....to love and serve Christ....not something 'mandatory' or legalistic. I pray that others find the freedom and joy that comes from tithing to my great God!
Lindy
9:52 PM
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