Tithing

A buddy of mine asked me today what I think about tithing.

There are two traditional points of view:
1. Tithe from the gross
2. Tithe from the net

Which is the right view? Both are, unless you get legalistic (read: self-righteous) about it. My feeling is that it is in the realm of the whole meat sacrificed to idols thing. Whatever you decide, let it be a conviction between you and the Lord, and don't hold it over anybody's head if they're doing differently than you. Let me emphasize that I am not touting a relativistic point of view, which tells us that there is really no universal truth, that what's true for you may not be true for me.

I think that it's a test of faith. If you have typically tithed from the net, or you're just starting to tithe, a change to gross can put a strain on an already tight budget. You may think that you might not make ends meet if you start tithing or go from net to gross. But this is where God comes in. Remember that He gave it to you to begin with. He tells us not to worry about clothing and shelter, because Solomon was not dressed in the splendor of the flowers, and we're so much more valuable to Him than those things. There have been numerous examples from friends and family that trusted Him to provide and He did so in unfathomable ways.

You may think about all that money that you're losing. Yes, tithing will be a significant portion of your budget. Sure, you won't be able to do or have as many fun things. You might not have any discretionary funds at the end of the month. But the thing to focus on is that you're not losing any money. You're just investing in eternity rather than only your lifetime. If you have been given more, more is required of you. This means the money God's given you. What better investment strategy allows you to affect peoples' lives now and in the future? You can't go wrong by giving back to God.