TITHES AND OFFERINGS

 

A tithe is 10% of your income given specifically to your local church. (Fun fact: The word tithe literally means tenth in Hebrew.) 

Because the custom of tithing is biblical, many Christians and Jews practice it as part of their faith. And while it’s important to give your time and your talents by doing things like serving at a local food bank or making a meal for a homebound neighbor, the word tithing refers to giving money.

Leviticus 27:30 says, “A tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain or fruit, is the Lord’s, and is holy.” And Proverbs 3:9 (NIV) says, “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops.

These verses are saying to give a portion, specifically a tenth, of whatever you make (aka your income) back to God. And firstfruits is just a biblical way of saying that you should give first—before you do anything else with your money.

Q. What’s the Difference Between Tithes and Offerings? 

A tithe is a specific amount (10% of your income) that you give first, and an offering is anything extra that you give beyond that.

After you’ve tithed and paid all your bills and expenses for the month, you can then use any extra money in your budget to give even more! This can look like a lot of different things— giving a cash offering to your church above and beyond your normal tithe, giving money to a charity you support, giving to a friend in need, or giving your time and skills by volunteering.

Q  Why should we tithe?

The Bible tells us that tithing is a way to show that we trust God with our lives and our finances.

Tithing wasn’t put in place for God’s benefit—He already owns everything. He doesn’t need our money. Instead, tithing is meant for our benefit because sacrificing a portion of our income helps us look outside our selfishness and makes us more aware of the needs of others.

In fact, one of the main purposes of tithing is to support the needs of pastors and the work of the local church. Tithes help pay the pastor’s salary, keep the church’s lights on, and meet the needs of the community. Tithing helps your local church actively be the church by meeting the needs of others.

Q. Do I have to tithe?

God loves us when we give and when we don’t give. Tithing isn’t a way to earn God’s love—because we already have it. In Matthew 23:23, Jesus warns against focusing too much on the rules of tithing without paying attention to the more important things like justice, mercy and faithfulness.

But you should be giving in some way.  When it comes to tithing, it’s more of a spiritual topic than a financial one. Because tithing isn’t about the money—it’s about the heart. It’s living with the attitude that we’re blessed to be a blessing.

2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV) says, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Q. Should I tithe while trying to pay off debt? 

Even if you’re in debt or walking through a rough financial season, tithing should still be a priority. You should hold off on offerings while you’re paying off debt, though. Once you’re out of debt, you’ll be free to give as generously as you want!

Q. Is it right to count my church tithe on my tax returns? 

Even though tithing to your church is a matter of the heart, taking a tax deduction doesn’t shrink the value of your generous gift. The Bible tells us to be good managers of our money, so if taking the deduction helps you manage the other 90% of your money better, then by all means, do it.

Q. Should I tithe on gifts? 

There’s no scripture that outright says you have to tithe on money you receive as a gift, but that certainly doesn’t mean you can’t. So, make that decision between you and God.

In conclusion, whether you’re giving a tithe, offering or some other special gift, it should be because you want to, not because you have to. Giving is an important part of any financial plan, and it’s really the most fun you can have with your money!

ON A PERSONAL NOTE

I was wondering if tithing was mandatory in the church today. We no longer have 12 tribes, with one tribe being supported by the rest because they were set apart for priestly duties and hence could not have any other source of income. I thought of how we need to support our priests and other full-time preachers. While the one tenth concept seemed no longer valid, the need to support the clergy who have no other source of income seemed logical. The question was HOW MUCH? 

Without the tithe as a benchmark, I realized that I was paying lip service to giving generously. Once, I recall, being asked to give a large amount, and it shook me out of my comfort zone. I hesitated, procrastinated but eventually when I did give it, the priest testified that it was meeting an immediate need. That opened my eyes! I decided from then on to use the tithing system as my benchmark. 

Every year, at the beginning of the financial year, I begin tithing according to my annual income. This is because I do not receive a salary but returns on my fixed deposits. So I decide on the amount I need to tithe that would be one tenth. 

Once the figure is fixed, I pray for discernment on how much to give my parish church, then to any other places where I receive the Word of God. As soon as an amount comes via interest, I write out the cheques that correspond to some of my tithe, leaving behind a small amount for personal use. 

For those of you receiving a monthly income, writing a cheque for one tenth of whatever you receive and giving it to the church you frequent or to the place you are receiving the online Mass is a must. Even before you write out a cheque for any bill you need to pay your tithe. When you do this faithfully, God helps you take care of the remaining amount beautifully. I cannot tell you how: you must experience it for yourself. 

I taught this to my children and they tithe faithfully too. Even if my children receive monetary gifts, they tithe. 

About offerings, as this is to be done only if you have cleared debts, we are debt free. So whenever we see a genuine need, we pray and decide on the amount and give. 

God has blessed us in many ways that are not monetary - our health, our simple lifestyle, donations of clothes, books, toys, food from friends and neighbours, etc. He sometimes puts us to shame by supplying a need in ways we wouldn't have imagined or done ourselves. Just a couple of weeks ago, my daughter who is in Brazil asked for a pair of boots which is part of their religious habit. As they are very costly, I asked her to wait for a year. My daughter was disappointed with my answer. To appease her, I told her to pray hard and if God desired it, she would get a pair. Two days ago, she texted me, "I got my boots!!" Upon enquiry, I learnt that another sister had made a pair which turned out tight so she just gave it away and my daughter was blessed. The quality of those boots according to my daughter is the most expensive one. If I had purchased, I would most definitely have opted for the cheapest. So you see, not only does God provide but He gives the best.