As often as I talk to individuals, congregations and others about Christian stewardship I rarely talk specifically about tithing. Most of us have suffered through enough sermons, testimonies, and banquets where the primary task was to convince us to tithe. I personally believe there are other ways, many ways, to encourage generous giving; and, frankly, the tithe is usually last on my list. There is plenty of Biblical content of which to speak without having to rely on the infamous rule of ten-percent.
My observation has been that a complicated approach to Christian stewardship is the last thing in the world most church leaders want. They want something simple and, no doubt, the tithe sounds like a winner. Unfortunately, even for those who adamantly insist that the tithe is a Biblical mandate for the church today, there are some things to think about when we make tithing the centerpiece of our stewardship teaching. It is quite possible that tithing could make things more complicated than we might assume.
Never Reaches Our Hearts
Tithing is often equated with showing up on time, wearing a tie, carrying your Bible, and volunteering in the nursery- assumed to be one of the requirements for being a good church member. During the service, tithing simply becomes a reference point; immediately after praise and worship and before we release the kiddos for children’s church. Stewardship sermons, Sunday school lessons, and small group curriculums may successfully convince us in our heads that tithing is the way to go; but rarely does tithing reach our hearts.
Difficult Place to Start, Wrong Place to Finish
The likelihood that an individual will transition from zero, one, or two-percent to ten-percent is simply unrealistic. In many instances, individuals who are unwilling to make this adjustment in their budget will simply choose not to give. When they refuse to take this enormous leap of faith, we miss the opportunity to encourage them to take smaller steps of faith. The tithe may simply be the wrong place to start. In contrast, there are also those who refuse to go any further once that leap has been taken. In the life of a generous steward, the tithe may not only be a difficult place to start but an especially disappointing place to finish.
Don’t Talk About My Money
Ironically, we will discuss all sorts of personal matters in the church with one exception - our finances. Tithing means ten percent which we assume to be ten percent of a person’s income. This simple formula makes tithing an especially vulnerable proposition for fear that one’s financial status will be discovered. This tendency might explain why some people of more humble means refrain from giving at all while those of larger incomes chose to give inconsistent yet substantial gifts during the holidays or during the tax season - all in an effort to conceal what our church culture has decided is the most private of concerns.
Tithing is about obedience, responsibility, our obligation to the church or to God - everything else we read in the Bible concerning gifts and giving is about grace received, generosity expressed, an act of worship, discovering the joy of giving, being a cheerful giver - giving always measures far greater an experience for the giver than the receiver. Unfortunately, when we try to force tithing into that experience, it get's complicated.
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@JasonLewisCFRE leads the advancement efforts at Logos Academy; an inter-cultural, Gospel-centered, community school located in York City, Pennsylvania. Jason and his family are members of the City Church community. In addition to his full-time ministry, Jason speaks to groups about Christian stewardship, generous giving, and effective ministry advancement. You can learn more at The Generous Life. Twitter: @JasonLewisCFRE
