4 Reasons Why Tithing is Important
By Jeff Cranston
“Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.” – Malachi 3:8
If you want to know what is truly important to a person, look at where he or she spends his or her money. Your bank statements truly reflect what you value.
Scripture teaches us that if you love God, then the way you use your money will reflect that love. God wants you to manage what you have for His glory—your time, talent, temple, testimony and treasures—and give back a portion of what He has given you.
Let me share with you four reasons why tithing is the most important thing you can do to get ahead financially:
1. God commands us to tithe.
Tithing is not some scheme that churches came up with to guilt people into forking over their cash so the church can pay the bills. It’s not in the least! We tithe because God said to do it. Read Malachi 3:8-12.
Let’s understand a few things as they relate to tithing:
Tithing means 10%. In other words, when we make $10, we give $1 to God. When we make $100, we give $10.
Our tithe is to be brought to the “storehouse”—in the Old Testament that was the temple, in the New Testament, that’s the church.
When we tithe, God makes us better off financially.
When we don’t tithe, God doesn’t just leave us alone, He actually often will make things financially worse.
Remember, God owns everything! So tithing is returning to God a portion of what He has given you. He allows you to keep 90% to manage your own needs. And, God wants you to test him in this: Reread Malachi 3:10b.
2. Tithing shows God that He has 100% of your heart.
Tithing is a tangible way of showing God that you’re all in. The great German reformer, Martin Luther, observed that in a Christian’s life, "There are three conversions necessary: the conversion of the heart, the mind, and the purse.”
God knows if we give back the first 10%, we’ve placed Him before money. Tithing tells God that He’s number one in your life. Why is this so important? Very simple: God won’t rest until He’s number one in our lives!
3. When you tithe, God intervenes and enables you to be better off living on 90% rather than 100%.
If we give away 10% of our income and manage the remaining 90% in a godly fashion, God will …
Give us raises
Sustain our health so we can keep our jobs
Allow us to keep our job in the midst of a difficult economy
Remove us from a job so we’ll get off our tails and get the job He wants us to have
Curb our spending impulse
Give us the desire/motivation to save
Relieve our anxiety about money
Meet a need that might arise in someone else’s life
This list is just the tip of the iceberg. The simple fact is: You cannot out-give God. You will be better off financially giving away 10% and living off 90% than keeping everything and going at life alone!
4. Tithing evaluates your missional heart.
Who cares if you become the richest person in Beaufort County, or the world, if you lose your soul and the souls of those you could have reached? Read Matthew 28:18-20. This is the Great Commission. This is the mission of our church. This is the mission Jesus gave us. When you tithe, you help make that happen!
Jesus said where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21). If you look at where you spend your money, you will find what you treasure. When you give to God, you are blessed beyond anything you could imagine. When you tithe, you give your first and best to God, knowing He will supply your needs.
Jeff Cranston is lead pastor at LowCountry Community Church in Bluffton, S.C.
When you give to God through LCC, you're helping reach thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as helping send relief all over the world when disasters strike.