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Should I Tithe While in Debt?

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I’ve touched on tithing while in debt before but it’s time to revisit this topic. To directly answer whether you should tithe while in debt – the answer is, no. You should not tithe while in debt. We should focus on our entire stewardship path which includes spending, saving, and giving. I explain why this is important moving forward.

George Müller offers a lesson about tithing while in debt

I recently came across an article on George Müller. If you are not familiar with him, he founded an orphanage in England and helped care for over 10,000 orphans in his lifetime. He also established 117 schools. A truly remarkable person. We can learn a lot about giving and debt by learning about this man and his ministry.

George Müller launched his orphanages on freewill donations. Below is a story about a donation he received from a donor that was in financial trouble. His response is not like one you will witness in modern times.

January 1, 1840. About one o’clock this morning, I received a sealed envelope with some money in it for the orphans. The individual who gave it was deeply in debt, and I was aware that she had been repeatedly asked by her creditors for payment. I resolved to return the envelope without opening it because no one has a right to give while in debt. I did this although I knew there was not enough on hand to meet the expenses of the day.

https://www.georgemuller.org/devotional/january-1-1840

I often hear a question wondering how churches can be supported without enforcing a tithe. The answer to this question is not a mystery. Muller was a man who did not rely on tithing to fund his entire ministry. Thousands, if not millions of ministries thrive on the support of freewill donations. This is besides the point of the article, but worthy of mentioning.

George Muller lived on integrity and faith. He expected others to live their life with these principles as well. He understood that stewardship is a holistic mindset. Debt and generosity are not exclusive to one another. It’s important to understand that if God wants a ministry to grow, he will provide the means for it. He’s much bigger than your measly 10% that you feel guilted to give. It’s not about you and your feelings. God’s reputation is more important.

Is Debt Wrong for Christians?

Using the word “wrong” is too vague, since we really want to know if debt is a sin for Christians. No, debt is not wrong or sinful for Christians. There are no laws in the bible that explicitly command us to stay out of debt. The error on our part is sinful desires or trusting bad advice prior to the debt. Debt is only a symptom. We should always address the cause whether it creates debt or not.

We should not make debt the object of our focus. Some of us could fall into the trap of being lackadaisical in our spending and stewardship management because we don’t see any symptoms yet. Debt can be like cancer that could take years of poor habits to finally catch up to you.

The book of Proverbs offers a lot of advice and wisdom, but at what point do we distinguish between breaking God’s command and not following biblical advice? Proverbs 22:26-27 is a popular verse that comes to mind.

This is where principles come into play. God wants investors, not givers. Remember the parable where the master gave silver to three servants and went on a journey? Two out of three increased the master’s wealth, while the third buried it. The master rebuked the third servant regardless of receiving 100% of it back.

We all start off in this world in debt. Nothing we have is our own. We are borrowing what God has given us including our own bodies. With it, he expects us to invest in his kingdom.

There are a lot of opinions about whether Christians should have zero debt. I am just one of those opinions. If you have unsecured debt, then you need to focus on paying that off instead of focusing on tithing or giving. Part of paying that off is making sure you behave with your spending in general. If debt is costing you less than your investments are paying, then it makes sense to make sure you are giving before investing.

Overall, this is a very simple way of looking at a complex topic. Everyone is different and every situation is as well. The question I ask myself is will this decision improve the lives of others? If the answer is “yes”, then more often than not, you’re taking the right step.

Is Tithing right for Christians?

Giving 10% (tithe) is not required of Christians. Tithing wasn’t even required from Israel. There are many articles that explain why, so I don’t want to go into depth here. I do want to point out that the poor in Israel received tithes – they did not pay them.

Although we aren’t commanded to give 10% of our earnings to God, he does expect us to be givers. Don’t look at the requirement to not tithe as an opportunity to be stingy.

In the Old Testament, God required Israelite farmers and herdsmen to give the tithe regardless if they were in debt or not. This is not so for us because the Holy Spirit guides us under a different covenant. There is no absolute requirement to give a tithe regardless of your situation.

Tithing does not make a wrong a right

We cannot give in order to absolve ourselves from the stain of debt. Making sure your church ministry you support is in the black while you go in the red is unwise thinking. Do not believe the lie that you will be compounding your sins if you don’t give while in debt.

I assume that most of us get into debt due to foolish purchase decisions and not preparing for unexpected costs with savings. So, for most of us, the fault lies in us. Paying bills instead of giving money to your church is not an additional sin on top of poor stewardship decisions.

If you still make unnecessary purchases and also do not give while in debt, then it’s not the lack of giving that’s the problem. It’s a lack of perspective about what God expects of us as stewards.

Give in other ways

While you are in debt, it does not mean that you sit on your hands. There are other ways to give. Here are only a few:

  • Serve
  • Give something you own to someone who needs it more than you.
  • Send words of encouragement

We all have something other than money and possessions that you can give away. It could be knowledge, a talent, or a hobby that could be used to give. We are all functioning parts of the body. Giving money to your church so a few members can take on the entire job of the body is not how it’s supposed to be. We are all participators.

Get a plan to get out of debt

That’s it. Get a plan to get out of debt. Maybe I’ll write up an article on this topic one day, but for years of my life, I was in debt. Besides a mortgage on my home, I am debt free. I couldn’t express how much anxiety and stress has been lifted off my shoulder.

If you get out of debt, you probably wouldn’t need to look up articles about whether we should give while in debt. I’d like to hear stories about others and how they’ve been freed to give willingly and freed from the bondage of debt. Please share your story below.

10 Signs of a Prosperity Gospel Scam

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It might be a prosperity scam when. . .

#10 The donation button is bigger than their logo

Being in marketing for a few years has taught me about conversion rates. When you have a website, you identify your #1 objective and make sure that your content and website layout all point to the goal you want your customers to accomplish.

#9 Everything is about sowing seeds

I am not sure what the obsession is with the sowing seed idea, but somehow it seems to be prevalent all throughout the prosperity gospel circles. My guess is that they want you to get your mind off of immediately seeing returns when you give them money. It could take ten or twenty years to see that acorn turn into a magnificent oak tree. So a seed now, but don’t expect anything immediately in return.

#8 You have to pay for their paraphernalia to learn the “simple” steps to prosperity

All the books, pamphlets, audio, videos, workbooks, trinkets, seminars, and classes just to explain the “simple” steps to prosperity? Yikes! All of that helps the preacher be prosperous. Whatever happened to hard work, good ideas, and investments to build prosperity?

#7 The website is colored green and gold

It’s so cliché, but it’s true. The prosperity gospel’s top color choices are green and gold. It’s one of the most hideous color combinations on the planet too.

#6 Receiving God’s blessings sounds like a sales pitch

If they are coming at you like an aggressive car salesman to convince you that God wants to bless you, then it’s time to reconsider sticking around any longer. God doesn’t need your monetary sacrifice to bless you financially. A farmer works hard in the field to grow crops. The hard work pays off and that’s where the blessing comes from. The amount of seed the farmer plants and the costs for the seed are minuscule to the amount of harvest that comes from it. Giving shouldn’t be painful, it should be cheerful.

#5 They display people showing off their bling

If you feel that you are on a casino or gambling site, but it turns out it’s supposed to be about the gospel, then you’ve found yourself a prosperity gospel scam. Playing the lottery doesn’t make you rich. The gospel isn’t associated with FanDuel. Feeding the flesh is not at all what we should be looking forward to.

#4 The usual prosperity preachers are on there

Kenneth Copeland, Paula White, Benny Hinn, Paul Crouch (both), Janice Crouch, Creflo Dollar, Rod Parsley, Freddie Prince, Joel Osteen, Mike Murdock. . . and the list goes on. I get it – I don’t think preachers should promote poverty or living your worst life. Both sides of the poverty vs riches argument are wrong. Saying you should be somewhere in the middle is wrong. How you live your life and how God blesses you for it is not our focus. We are not in a contest about how much we gain or how much we give away. It’s not about you. It’s not about me. It’s not about glorifying and enriching our lives. The more I focused on myself, the more I felt secluded in life.

#3 They say the Bible contains the secrets to wealth

It’s not a secret, is it? Work hard, build good relationships, and make good decisions. What’s so secret? Many religions and cultures use idols and icons in their homes as a charm to bring good fortune. The gospel is different. There is no lucky charm, prayer, or buried secret that will turn poverty into riches. God is not a slot machine or genie waiting for you to rub him the right way so he can grant your three wishes.

#2 They sound like a QVC commercial or liquidation event

If they need your money now, or if they sound urgent for you to buy their latest trinket, then it’s a scam. When I lived in Pensacola Florida, for six years the same furniture company stood out on the corner of a busy street holding a sign that said, “Going out of business/liquidation event.” For six years this went on. That was 17 years ago and I wouldn’t doubt they’re standing there right now.

#1 Prosperity preachers talk about money and happiness more than the gospel

The two words – prosperity and gospel should not be in the same sentence. It’s a prosperity message. The gospel is something else entirely different. Content entirely about your lifestyle, parenting, work, relationships, finances, etc. may have its place in our lives. We need wisdom, encouragement, hope, and inspiration in all areas of our lives. When God’s people come together to do what God purposed – to worship him; but instead find themselves focusing on worshipping the needs of our own lives, I see a problem.

How Can Christians Give Less Than Israel Did?

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As we continue our ‘Tithing on Trial’ series, we will evaluate the most common tithing arguments used to defend its practice.

This argument is one of the tougher discussions to defend against. We live in a very prosperous world while living under the grace of God. Israel never had the opportunities we have had in our time. How can people living under grace, with a higher calling, and the Holy Spirit possibly be excused from giving less than the 10% tithe that Israel gave?

First, the facts: Israel did give less than 10%

The initial problem with the above argument is believing that 10% was the minimum Israel gave in the first place.

  • Israel was only required to give 1/500 of the spoils of war (Numbers 31). The Israelites were not required to give 10% of their spoils of war. They weren’t even required to give one percent.
  • Bankers, lawyers, and doctors did not participate in tithes because Israel was only required to give from the increase of their animals or from their crops of the land. They gave 0% from their non-farming occupation.
  • Israel’s tithe paid for civil duties. The tithe was a part of Israel’s civic duty and tax obligations. According to Zippia, the average household income in the US is around $87,000. The tax bracket for joint filers at that income level is 22%. Our taxes pay for social welfare, including food, housing, schooling, etc. The budget for the welfare program alone was 1 trillion dollars in 2021. According to Statista, personal income was 21 trillion. In summary, Americans are already giving ~5% of their salary towards one of the welfare programs that exist. This does not include sales taxes that are paid. Don’t get me started on business taxes. If you’re a small business entrepreneur, you understand the absurd amount of taxes you pay towards your civil duty.
  • Israel’s rich and poor gave an equal amount of half a shekel for the temple tax. Across the board, everyone was required to give towards the upkeep and maintenance of the temple. A shekel was about 7-8 grams of silver. In today’s value, that could be around $4-$6. This does not equate to the value of silver back then, but it gives you a picture. Regardless, the flat offering was across the board and was more than 10% for some and under 10% for others.
  • Israelites never tithed outside of the promised land. When the Israelites lived outside of their land, they did not give a tithe. God only wanted crops and animals that were a part of the increase of the land of Israel. So, a farmer gave 0% of grain towards the storehouse if the crops were grown outside the land. Please read more about why Israel only tithed on food.
  • Jesus’ own words to his disciples about ministry said, “Freely you have received; freely give.” (Matthew 10:8). Although, his words are not direct proof, it does set a precedent and relieves us from some of the pressure to meet a standard that not even all of the Israelites had to meet.
  • Israel only tithed on the increase of animals. If their flock increased by nine animals that year, then they gave 0% of their increase.

10% is not a spiritual principle – it is an earthly standard

God never raised the standards of his principles in the New Testament. We can’t hold ourselves accountable to any of Israel’s requirements. Take a look at priests: they could only serve 25 years from age 25-50 and had to have documented lineage. These aren’t standards that any of us would consider universal principles.

God placed certain rules and restrictions on Israel because he wanted to teach a spiritual principle through earthly regulations. The regulations are not there for us to compare ourselves to. Do you realize how crazy some of the Old Testament laws are that we would find ourselves working towards?

If we can take the tithe and compare it with our efforts in the New Testament, we are opening the door to other rules and regulations for adoption. Where do we draw the line on which Old Testament laws we should supersede? Which laws do we ask ourselves, “How can we do less, serve less, give less, say less, than Israel did?”

God’s spiritual standards are repeatable and applicable across the board. If questioning how we can give less than Israel helps us uncover tithing as a spiritual principle, then this same question could be repeated to compare our efforts versus everything that Israel did. This self-reflection shouldn’t just stop with our wallets.

The question is flawed. Using it to confirm our doctrine may make sense in some instances, but we soon find ourselves realizing that this is a poor question to confirm New Testament practices. If it was a good question, we could apply it to everything.

The truth is that God never raised the bar. His principles have been steady and unwavering. It’s dangerous to base our theology or doctrine on qualitative questioning. How can we give less than Israel did? Well, let’s find out the facts first before we start basing our doctrine on unstable rationale.

You Be The Judge

Now it’s time for the jury to weigh in:

Can we give less than Israel did?

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Did Jesus Fulfill or Destroy Tithing?

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As we continue our ‘Tithing on Trial’ series, we will evaluate the most common tithing arguments used to defend its practice.

When many inquire how authoritative the Mosaic laws are at governing the Church, a portion of Matthew 5:17 is invoked, which states that Jesus fulfilled the Law for us. This seems to end the Law’s jurisdiction over the Church. Although, when it comes to the authority of tithing over the Church, many invoke a more complete version of Matthew 5:17, which states, that Jesus did not come to destroy but to fulfill the Law. Now a very simple interpretation becomes convoluted. So, let’s inquire about what it means for tithing when Jesus said he did not come to destroy, but to fulfill.

Jesus did not come to destroy the Law – there’s no argument there. So let’s focus on what he did when he fulfilled the law. We have an article dedicated to defining what fulfill means. 

I don’t want to rehash everything that’s written in the article, but to use that illustration imagine you have two buckets that are both supposed to be filled with water. If one bucket was filled to the brim and the other bucket was empty, which bucket would you say had fulfilled its purpose? Which bucket would you say cannot be used anymore to gather more water? Would either bucket need to be destroyed for any reason? The answer is obvious.

All that Jesus was saying is that the old bucket is used up and can no longer be used to gather more water. The new bucket can be used and has replaced the old bucket. Jesus did not destroy anything. 

The Old Testament is still relevant to us. It offers glimpses of God’s promises and his truth. There are thousands of other reasons why Jesus did not destroy the Law. Fulfilling the Law can be like paying a doctor’s bill. You can pay a bill and fulfill the obligation for it, but that doesn’t mean the bill didn’t exist or the evidence of your medical treatment didn’t exist. The bill isn’t destroyed just because you paid it. Fulfilling the obligation doesn’t mean the obligation is continuously ongoing. 

The same is true for us. Fulfilling the law has nothing to do with confirming its practice in the church. If Jesus came to continue the law for us, we are going to be in trouble because we would be bringing back a lot more than tithing. 

The answer is yes, Jesus fulfilled tithing, but it doesn’t mean to continue. He completed its purpose for us, so we should not continue to fulfill tithing for ourselves. Let’s not cherry-pick verses in the bible to encourage the usage of certain Laws that we want to fit into the church. 

You Be The Judge

Now it’s time for the jury to weigh in:

Did Jesus Continue Tithing for us by Fulfilling the Law?

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Tithing and the Church by Gary North

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I read a book called, Tithing and the Church by Gary North, Institute for Christian Economics, 1994 . You can read a PDF version here. Gary North just recently passed away in February 2022.

introduction

Gary North is the author/co-author of many books on Christian economics, history, and theology. You can read more about his profile on wikipedia. “Tithing and the Church” is a pro-tithing piece of literature. Here are the chapters listed below.

1. Sovereignty and the Tithe
2. Authority and the Tithe
3. Church Membership and the Tithe
4. When Royal Priests Beg
5. Tithes, Taxes, and the Kingdom
6. Primary Sovereignty: Church or Family?
7. Rushdoony’s Ecclesiology
8. The Legal Basis of the Tithe
9. Sacraments or Social Gospel?
10. The Chronology of Rushdoony’s Ecclesiology

By far this is the most detailed pro-tithing book I have ever read. Although this is the case, this is not necessarily an apology of tithing, but more or less how a dissection tithing positively affects the infrastructure of the Church. Gary North doesn’t go into much detail proving the tithe through a rational discussion on doctrine. More or less it’s a philosophical standpoint of the affect of tithing on the infrastructure of the Church.

Is 10% a Good Place to Start Giving?

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I’ve established that tithing is not required and that giving 10% of our income is a benchmark that should not be enforced under the New Covenant Church. If you’re not sure about that yet yourself, then please read these pages first:

Now that we’ve gotten past the point of being freed from the mechanical law of rituals, there is still the question about whether or not 10% is a good place to start giving. I’ve heard so many pastors, authors, and theologians admit that tithing is not required, but can still be a good place to start.

I don’t know why many of teachers say, “I don’t believe tithing is required, but i think it’s a good place to start”. Maybe they fear others’ reactions? Maybe they are concerned that others will blacklist them or will accuse them of greed. (Not speaking from experience or anything)

10% is not a good place to start. Although, I’ll say that is an understatement since I consider it a harmful place to start at for 99.9% of us. Here’s why:

You are Not Letting God Lead

I do think standards are imperative for our lives. I have many of them in my own life. I do have standards for my giving, but ultimately I decide to be “Spirit-led”. For this, I get labeled “kooky”, “radical”, etc;. Although strangely enough, believing in an invisible being that lives in me, created the entire universe with words, became human with a virgin birth, and wrote a creepy book that is the basis of all apocalyptic movies is kinda out there as well. I digress. Following God is not about throwing darts or “winging” it.

When I’ve come across those that do not believe in tithing but still feel anchored to the tithe (10% minimum), their reasoning is very stange. It’s as if they just discoverd they have the power to walk after believing they were paralyzed their whole lif…but strangely enough, have made the decision that being anchored to the wheelchair is a more logical decision than than trying to learn to walk.

I typically find out that there was no prayer about what they should give and there probably wasn’t even a look at the budget.

I get that 10% is easy. I also get that we have to start somewhere. So, I understand why some would rather give 10% than let laziness get in the way and not give at all. Solving laziness with mindlessness does not make what you are doing right. 10% is a place that you can start at since giving something is better than giving nothing, but don’t mistake better for right.

I wouldn’t consider giving my wife a vacuum cleaner for our 20th wedding anniversary a good start. It may just be quite the opposite of good. It may be bad and set me back negative yards putting me in the dog house for weeks or months. The reason I gave her a vacuum cleaner as opposed to a bed and breakfast, or romantic evening is because I was not communicating, asking questions, or listening to her about her wants and desires.

The same goes for my relationship with God. Every week you can show up with the same old vacuum cleaner that shows God you know he’s there, but you really don’t care to uncover the complexity of the desires of his heart. After you’ve given the vacuum cleaner, try using the lazy excuse with your wife – “But it’s a start”. You’ll find out whether your giving was right or wrong pretty fast.

Remember when you were first in love with your boyfriend/girlfriend? Remember all those questions you used to ask? Curiosity about the other person shows a lot about how much in love you are with them. So the question is, are you curious about God or do you treat him as if he is there to listen to you? Your monotonous and mindless giving demonstrates that your relationship with God is all head and no heart. Although i find that to be ironic.

Israel Gave Much Less than 10% to the Temple

Only 10% of 10% (1% total) actually made it to the temple storehouse. 1% of Israel’s entire increase that was given to the house of God. You may not be aware of this either, but it was 1% of the increase from agriculture and herding that only went to the storehouse. It did not include tithes from other occupations such as carpenters, blacksmiths, bankers, tax collectors, doctors, etc. Imagine the Church being supported by only the farmers in your church today? Yikes!

The Israelite farmers gave 10% of their increase in total while there were also additional offerings given by all the Israelites, but overall the entire nation was not required to give up to 10% of their income.

So, if 10% wasn’t a starting place for the majority of Israelites under the strict, written ordinance of the law, how would it be considered a good starting place for those who have a direct connection with God dwelling within them?

You are Giving Too Much or Too Little

Some of us are in debt, have a hard time paying bills, are single parents, on government assistance, or have some other hardship. If you are in (unsecured) debt or on government assistance, I’d encourage you to consider either finding some way to earn more income or keep the offering money in your pocket to take care of other important matters.

I defer to the story about the poor widow giving her last two mites in the box. There is no indication as to whether she was living on other’s assistance or welfare. We don’t know if she was filled or about to starve. My personal opinion and philosophy are that if you are giving away what you’ve earned and yet ask others to assist in your basic needs, then you are probably giving too much. I do not wish to put God in a box though. God could be calling you to give what you have, just as he did the widow, and yet have already set in motion a way to provide for you.

Take the story of the widow at Zarephath who was making her last dying meal for her and her son while Elijah asked her to make a loaf of bread for him first. What an amazing example of faith and a good example of giving even though it is beyond our means.

These are amazing stories of widows during a snapshot of their life, but these are not representations of their life week after week. Widows giving every week to the church while going to the government to support her needs is not wise and gives a negative reflection of God’s power.

I’ve addressed tithing and debt in greater detail, but generally speaking we can’t cover up debt that may or may not be the fault of greed or stupidity by painting a coat of white paint over mud. “Unsecured” debt can be used as a tool by the enemy to reflect poorly on Christ. So, Stop Tithing and get out of debt.

Now that I’ve covered those that are giving too much, I don’t think I really need to spend too much time talking about those who are not giving enough. If you are giving 10% and could be giving more, then it is just shameful. Enough said.

Moral of the Story

The problem is that we are human and will always be in a battle with the tangible vs. intangible. We wish to see things in black and white so that way God’s calling is clear-cut and without ambiguity. It’s not wrong to create standards in your life. The wrong is when our own standards overshadow God’s principles. God’s principles are found in the lessons, not the exercises.

Let me explain what I mean by looking at an example. The principle of cleanliness is a good thing and is a natural spiritual principle. God didn’t create an orderly universe and expect mankind to strive for disorder and filth. So, If I were to say that making your bed every day is a great exercise to help you honor the principle of cleanliness, I would say there’s not a soul that would disagree with me. If I could read your minds, there’s probably an utterance of some ‘Amens’.

Could there be anything wrong with doing that chore every day? I’m sure you said, no. What if I were to tell you that I have made my bed every day for the last 10 years, but haven’t washed my sheets during that time? I’ve made my bed 3,650 days in a row like a good little Christian should, so I should get credit right? At that point, who cares about my perfect streak of making my bed for 10 years. This resonates with the story in Matthew 25 when Jesus seemed to be indifferent about the Pharisee’s meticulous attention to tithing but neglecting weightier matters.

The same goes for all standards – not just giving. If we fail to look at the bigger picture and instead become so task-focused we forget about the goal (ie: cleanliness), then even the safest standards become disgusting. If you could choose to either have clean sheets for the next 10 years or a bed that was made, we would all choose to have clean sheets…at least for those of us with a sound mind.

Some have been tithing for 10+ years. How do you think God views your generosity after 3650 days of the same mindless chore? Do you think it has a bad smell yet? Sometimes you could have given more, and sometimes you should have given less. Either way, by now, it stinks because God doesn’t want your mindless actions that ignore obvious signs of smelly stewardship, God wants a spirit-filled life that exemplifies a faithful steward that is intentional in seeking out opportunities to shine his light in a smelly world.

Well…I guess I should start making my bed. Nah. Too much work to just mess up every night. LOL.

What do you say? Say it below.