If you go to a brick-and-mortar church, chances are, you have been taught that “God wants you to give 10% of your salary to the local church”. Many pastors call this “Biblical tithing”. Unfortunately, this version of tithing is not a complete interpretation of all the scriptures related to giving in the Bible. What’s more unfortunate is that this interpretation tends to lead to manipulative teaching in order to make people give their supposedly-obliged 10%.
I believe that this type of reductionist teaching is partially to blame for why less than 5% of American Christians apparently tithe (as in, give any money to their church, never mind as much as 10%). In addition, I believe it contributes significantly to why so many Westerners distrust Christian organizations that ask for money, especially when taught under the shadow of the financial and spiritual abuse conducted by some ministries and churches.
So… for the next five minutes of reading, I’d like you to suspend everything you think you know about tithing, giving, offerings, and donations for a moment. Let me share how God has been leading me to give God 100% of my money in a way that neither enables abuse by others or fuels resentment in myself.
Bible References to Giving Money
The idea of (and the term) “tithe” comes from the Old Testament Bible, in which Abram (later known as Abraham) met a man named Melchizedek during his God-led wanderings in the desert. God told Abram to give the man 10% of all his wealth, because the man was also a follower of God (a priest, even). Abram did so that they parted ways. Abram was and continued to be an ever-more-wealthy man, so we can assume God returned the 10% and then some back to him.
Later, this example by Abram became a commandment for Israel to set aside 10% of every household’s income (whether in agriculture, goods, or currency) to give directly to someone they knew who was needy (ideally, a neighbor). Some synagogues eventually set up donation boxes to centralize and redistribute those resources on behalf of the Israelites, but this synagogue-led centralization of gathering all tithes into a temple or church is NOT commanded by God—it was a human practice.
In Moses’a time, God gave some commandments to Israel related to giving. When someone went to the tabernacle of God to give God a sacrificial offering (by slaying animals, pouring out beer, or waving produce before the altar), one was to give a portion of that sacrifice to the priests who ran the tabernacle (because those priests were not allowed to own land or have any other jobs). But this also was not a 10% commandment.
By the time Yeshua came to Earth in bodily form, the temple (which replaced the tabernacle) had set up a tax to fund its operations. Jesus did not despise the temple tax but he did despise how the temple had been turned into a business, designed to facilitate human profit, not divine worship. In fact, Yeshua got so mad, he did the equivalent of pulling out a bat at a fair and striking down the poles of every tent or table trying to sell something to passers by. It must have been a sight to see! Needless to say, the priests were mad because by then, the temple had become a business and he was ruining their profits.
After Yeshua went up to Heaven and the Holy Spirit came down from Heaven to infill his followers, his disciples (AKA the apostles) started taking donations from wealthy followers to redistribute to needy followers (similar to the function their synagogues performed). And later, when the apostles were scattered to the four winds, they brought gifts (donations) to churches they were visiting from the previous churches they had just left. At each church, they took up collections for other churches they would visit next. Some apostles also had jobs on the side (like Paul was also a tent maker) while others lived off the hospitality and donations of the followers, which the Bible authors describe as appropriate.
But in all of that Scripture, nowhere is there a “every church member must give 10% of their salary to their local church” rule. That is a creation of man.
How to Give Well
When I discovered all of this during seminary in 2013, I had been giving 10% of my salary since 2007. I was upset, to say the least, to see that spiritual manipulation occur so openly in houses that were supposed to belong to God. So I began praying about how, when, and where to give my money instead. Here’s what God has taught me since then and an example of howI most recently apply that lesson:
1. Give to those who give to you.
To be clear, I’m not against giving to one’s local church. If you attend a church and benefit from its ministry, it is proper to help fund that ministry to the degree that God leads you. Same thing for your local parachurch ministry (like Awana orHealing Rooms); if you benefit from it, ask God if God wants you to compensate them with your money, your time, your word-of-mouth recommendations, or some other gift. Do the same for that online ministry that blesses you. After all, we are all one church and if you have received from another believer, look for ways to give back to them so that they can continue to give to others.
By default, any time I visit a church, I use their envelopes to give a sum of money. The money is to cover the cost of renting the building, turning on the lights and the HVAC, paying for the AV equipment, and for the salaries of its workers—kind of like the cost of going to the movies. Then, I ask if God wants me to give extra for a certain ministry they are trying to fundraise.
2. Give to your local needy—preferably directly.
I’m also not against giving to charities or non-profits, either. If you feel led to support people who organize to systematically support the needy, do so. These organizations don’t need to be “Christian”, as long as you perceive their heart is in line with God’s heart for the needy. Food pantries, thrift stores, and shelters are great places to donate your time, goods, and money. But don’t let these organizations separate you from your local needy neighbors. Keep money in your car to give to people holding signs at stoplights. Don’t outsource kindness. Don’t outsource eye contact. Don’t outsource acknowledging the needy as your valuable neighbors.
I support one organization that cares for needy children on another continent with monthly donations. I try to always keep cash in my car or wallet in small and big bills. This year, as in some years past, we are making Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter gift bags for the homeless full of food, cards, gifts, batteries, socks, underwear, feminine supplies, and toiletries; to hand them off to anyone begging for money with a big smile, a warm handshake, and a “Yeshua loves you!”
3. Give to those who spread the good news of the Kingdom of God.
Neither am I against giving to missionaries (like church planters, evangelists, and Bible translators) or traveling ministers (like preachers, revivalists, and healers). These people often have “no home in which to lay [their] head”, much like Yeshua during his Earthly ministry. They are often unable to find side-jobs that travel with them, so, by necessity, they need the support of the church. Ask God if you are the one meant to support one or more of these brothers and sisters.
I support two missionaries with monthly donations: one is a Bible translator and one is a traveling preacher and minister of the power of the Holy Spirit.
4. Give to your friends and neighbors.
That’s right! Giving to your friends and neighbors counts as giving to God. It is straight outta the Bible. “And they sold all they had and gave to one another so that none were in need.” Yes, that includes your unbeliever neighbors. How else will they experience the love and abundant provision of Yeshua if not through you?
God once told me to give many thousands of dollars to a believer friend who wanted to buy a house. I was shocked at how much God said to give, but I did and she got the house. One year later, someone gave me 110% of the amount I had given her, because God told him to! Also, I am always offering stuff to my neighbors to make their lives easier, whether to borrow or to have. Lately, it’s maternity clothes and baby gear. But it’s also a meal or two during postpartum recovery, or regular sending of money to cover a friend’s bills during a long sickness. No, these donations are not tax-deductible; being able to deduct my donations from my taxes is not the means by which I decide if I am meant to help my neighbor. I ask God and God directs me accordingly.
5. Spend at businesses God and your conscience prefer.
Learn about the values of the companies to whom you give your money. Do they support fair trade, sustainability, green practices, and living wages? Do they protect the most vulnerable (women, children, unborn children, minorities, immigrants, third-world laborers, and animals) through their practices, charitable giving, and legal lobbying? Do they promote pure competition, customer privacy, and healthy markets? Do they treat their customers, vendors, and workers like valuable people? Does their marketing inform instead of manipulate their target audience?
Whenever I can, I choose to shop at the more expensive local grocery store that commits to organic produce and sustainable practices over the big chain natural foods store that sells a lot of conventional produce still heavily laden with toxins. I choose technology or services that cost more but guard my privacy. I choose to shop at companies that give to protect unborn children. I choose companies that talk to me like a real human being, and avoid manipulative marketing.
6. Buy well and multi-generationally.
Stop “trying to save money” by buying the cheapest, Chinese-made version of everything. That [demonic] mentality has fueled a throw-away society that is running out of landfills! God didn’t create that spirit of poverty; God created the spirit of abundance. (Remember, Yeshua was not poor, even though he was technically homeless.) Instead, inquire about which products or services are the best in breed, and learn why. If you find something great, buy two so that you either have repair parts available if the company goes down, or you get to enjoy twice the life of the product—maybe your kids can even enjoy it. For larger items, consider how they could meet a need amongst your children or grandchildren (especially real estate, vehicles, furniture, etc.) Don’t keep things that don’t give you joy; look for better versions so that you can support companies that seek to make better things.
I have begun to start my online shopping for more expensive items with searches for “what is the highest quality_____” or “what is the highest rated _____” to make shopping decisions based on quality, not just price. Of course, price is a factor in my decision making, but not the only factor; the price factor is more like, “God, how much do you want me to spend on this?”
7. Spend on yourself where it matters most: to fuel life, joy, thriving, hope, peace, and health.
This lesson was an unexpected one for me. Using your money to improve your own health and wholeness is not selfish, it’s wise and godly. After all, if we give to others but do not receive for ourselves, we won’t be around long enough to change the world at a God-desired-level. Also, having unfulfilled desires in your heart (whether they are to climb Mount Kilimanjaro or sail the world with your own boat) will actually make your heart sick. It is not selfish to ask God to fulfill the desires of your heart (because God put them there in the first place). The key is to get them fulfilled in God’s way and God’s timing.
When I got sick in 2013, I realized that I needed to accept charity whenever I was offered it, and spend what little disability money I had on filling the gaps the charities couldn’t. Since no charity offered healthy, organic food, I quadrupled my food budget to ingest only foods that healed me. Since no charity offered supplements to restock my depleted bodily vitamin stores, I spent a lot of money on supplements. Since no charity or insurance covered functional medicine doctors or massage therapists, but these made my body better, I spent my money on them. Since no charity sent me to the beach, but the beach restored my soul, I spent my money on it.
8. Spend how God says to spend.
Here’s another one that surprised me. God knows where the markets are coming from and where they are going. God wants us to be in tune with God so that we can benefit from changes in the market; being as innocent as doves but as wise as serpents. If we listen to the Holy Spirit, and spend money accordingly—no matter how crazy it might sound—then we will benefit from God’s insider knowledge. We don’t want to be Christians in order to benefit financially (that would be as bad as churches teaching “the 10% rule”) but if our hearts are pure before God, God can trust us with more resources and help us build resources to fund our callings as well as those of others.
In one season of my life, God led me to get out of debt and stay out of debt. In fact, I became such a believer in Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University that I became a volunteer coach at a church I attended. But right in the middle of COVID-19, God changed the tune: God told me to buy, buy, buy and stockpile everything I thought my family would need for the next six months—put it on a credit card, no less! Needless to say, I was worried I was hearing wrong but the message was clear, so we built up a pantry full of canned goods and a freezer full of meat to prepare for the worst. What happened? Supply chain issues and the Great Resignation led to an 8% inflation rate over the next year on the prices of all those things we bought. In some cases, prices DOUBLED over the next year. But how much was my credit card’s interest rate? Only 4%. So my family ended up saving at least 4% on our pantry and freezer stock by going against everything Financial Peace University ever taught.
Conclusion
By implementing all eight of the lessons God has taught me since 2013, I have come to the place where God controls 100% of my money. The Holy Spirit gets to direct me on what to buy, where, for how much, when, etc. And if I only spend money according to the leading of the Holy Spirit, then all that is mine belongs to God. Giving God 100% is way better than giving God 10%.
What about you? Do you have any lessons to add to the list?
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