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The practice of tithing, biblical giving and understanding you can't afford not to tithe or give

I Can't Afford to Give
By Dave Shoemaker

I started practicing tithing in my family at a time that our combined income was reduced by 60%, I had no job lined up, and we moved to a brand new state, bought a new home, and had invited my mother-in-law to live with us. I certainly could have used the excuse that I just can’t afford to tithe like God instructs because “my situation” certainly justifies not tithing, and I’m sure God understands and is OK with “my” decision! I’ll start tithing after we make more money! After all that’s the answer to all our financial problems anyway, right? Just make more money, and than we can do all those “other things” WRONG!!

Let’s take a quick look at a few scriptures, and see what God has to say.

1) Why give? 1 Corinthians 10:26 and Psalm 24:1 both tell us that the whole earth and everything in it is God’s. He owns everything, so in reality what “I have” really is God’s from the beginning. That includes the money we make. So giving a tenth (the very first 10%) of all I make to God in the form of a tithe is really Him allowing us to use the remaining 90% to live on. What’s wrong with that? Malachi 3:8-12 also tells us that if we bring our tithes into the storehouse (this would mean your spiritual home where you are being fed and taught God’s word (Church)) that God will rebuke the devourer on our behalf, and open up the windows of heaven and pour out His blessing upon us. He even says for us to “test Him in this” For me I take God’s word as the absolute truth. Again I ask you, why give? It seems pretty plain to me.

2) I can’t afford to give. Philippians 4:19 says that my God shall (not maybe) meet all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. This means we may not get all “we” want, but He is sure to provide all that we need. Also in Luke 6:38 we are told; “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

It seems to me that with just these few examples of scriptures alone, that my personal giving plan should at the very least include tithing as the minimum requirement, and then freewill giving over and beyond the tithe, as the Holy Spirit leads, to spread the gospel (Great Commission) per Matthew 18:19 & 20, and to help those less fortunate than myself. The plan should be a three part giving plan; a) tithing b) freewill offerings and c) giving to the poor, or sowing alms. When I aligned my family’s giving plan, after attending one of the Financial Freedom in 7 Weeks plus Focus Groups, to match the three areas mentioned above, God’s Word has been manifested in such a way that it can’t be explained any other way than simply to say that God IS faithful with His word, and we have been blessed beyond what I could ever hope or ask for.

Please don’t allow yourself to be deceived by the negative thoughts that seem to exist everywhere we go, and believe what the world may tell you. Immerse yourself in God’s Word and live according to His good plan and desires for your life. God is just waiting to pour out His blessings on you (Jeremiah 29:11 & Malachi 3:10-12).