The Heart of Money
Join financial counselor, Christ follower, and founder of the Center for Financial Discipleship, Courtney Markley as she takes on tough money questions and delivers actionable guidance. Courtney's gentle but straightforward approach creates a safe, nonjudgmental space for people to talk about their money challenges. After coaching for several years, Courtney understands that money stress is usually a symptom of a deeper problem. Her approach to money will expand your understanding of how to succeed financially. You will gain tools needed to improve your money mindset while becoming someone who can have deeper, Christ-centered money discussions. Join Courtney in her mission to change the way we talk about money, one conversation at a time.
The Heart of Money
To Tithe, Or Not To Tithe?
It's the age-old debate: do I need to tithe or not?
The tricky thing is, when we begin to discuss tithing it's hard to let our guards down. In this episode we seek to bypass many of the obstacles that keep us from an honest, open discussion about tithing. We'll trace the history of tithing in the Old Testament, introduce "grace giving" in the New Testament, and reflect on Jesus' example.
Our aim is not to convince you to tithe (or not), but rather, help you evaluate how tithing can either hurt or enhance your relationship with God.
If you're looking for a gentle discussion about tithing, consider this your guide.
Links from episode:
Bible Study: The Good Investor's Guide to Spiritual Health and Money
Welcome to the Heart of Money Podcast. This is the place to go for deep, Christ-centered, 20-minute or less money conversations that lead to heart change and generosity. I'm your host, Courtney Markley, and as a certified Christian financial counselor, I have helped hundreds of people transform their finances and grow closer to Jesus in the process. So let's get started. Welcome everyone. Thank you for joining me for the Heart of Money podcast. Today's topic is titled To tithe or Not to Tithe. You know, my husband and I, we were hosting a Bible study a few years ago when a young woman in our group shared that she was often taught that it was important to give and important to tithe, but she had never really been taught where tithing came from or what the purpose really was in tithing. And it's interesting because there is a large debate about tithing and whether or not it's relevant to Christians today. And there's a couple of barriers that we often face when we're talking about this subject, which really can be so polarizing. A few of the hurdles we experience is one, we're usually taught by people who feel very strongly either for or against the tithe, but we're only seeing one side of the coin. And then we're also usually talking about tithing specifically within a church context. And some people can feel a little sticky when we're being asked to give and we're being taught to tithe by the very people who may benefit from our giving. And so automatically, when we start to talk about tithing or giving in church, our walls can go up and we're a bit guarded. So today we get to bypass some of those obstacles and enter into a gentle discussion about tithing. We're not going to argue either for or against tithing, but rather we're going to study the history of the tithe. We're going to review scripture from both the old and the new testament. And then we're going to change the lens a little bit and change the narrative in the conversation. Instead of saying, are we for or against tithing? Let's look at it from the perspective of how can tithing either help or hinder your faith walk. I'm excited to share all of this with you today. So let's go ahead and dive in and begin examining first off, what does it mean to tithe? Well, in the Old Testament, we learn about the ancient Israelites who were required under law to give 10% of their earnings to the Lord. This is referred to as tithing. Tithing literally means a tenth. People not only tithed on monetary income, but they also tithed on wealth and possessions, including their livestock and vegetation. So pretty much anything that they were to acquire, they would tithe on. So the act of tithing is introduced as early as Genesis 14 with Abram and again on Mount Sinai when the Lord commanded Moses that every tithe of the land, whether the seed of the land or the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's. It is holy to the Lord. So it's a little known fact that the Israelites actually paid three tithes, not one. Each tithe had a specific purpose. One tithe supported the priests and Levites. One provided for holy festivals. I personally love to think that they set aside money and tithing specifically for parties. I think that's amazing. And the third tithe supported the marginalized, such as the widows and the orphans. And that tithe was collected every three years. So the tithes for the priests and the festivals were ongoing. The tithe for the poor was collected every three years, and that averaged out to 23% that people would give per year. And if you're curious, you want to dive into this more in your Bible, check out Numbers 18 and Deuteronomy 12, 14, and 26 for more details. Now for the Israelites, tithing symbolized a reminder in which God came first in their life. They lived to serve God, not the other way around. Tithing was also a way to distinguish God's people from the surrounding nations, because it showed that they served a God who cared for the poor. In many of the neighboring societies, there were a few elites who held the majority of the wealth, while the rest of the people lived in extreme poverty. God's economy operated differently. Now hold on to your hats, folks, because not only did the average Israelite give 23% of their income, but they also gave offerings. Offerings were a voluntary act and not required under the law, contrary to the tithe. Offerings were considered a true gift, while tithing was looked at more as repaying a debt or giving back to the Lord what was rightfully his. Now you may think that the Israelites would be kind of tight with their money after giving nearly a quarter of it back to God, but in Exodus we see a different narrative. We read in Exodus 36. So all the skilled workers who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left what they were doing and said to Moses, The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the Lord commanded to be done. Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary. And so the people were restrained from bringing more because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work. Despite being a rather poor nation, they gave literally until they were asked to give no more, because that's how excited they were to contribute to the building of the sanctuary. So that's a little snippet about tithing, where it initially came from, and a few examples of how we see tithing and offerings distributed throughout the Old Testament. Now let's look at tithing in the New Testament. Well, because Jesus came from a devout Jewish family, it's safe to say that Jesus and his family tithed. Although he speaks often about money, he only references a tithe in one specific interaction with the Pharisees. In Matthew 23, 23, we read Jesus saying, Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You give a tenth of your spices, mint, dill, and cumin, but you have neglected the more important matters of the law, justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former. So in this context, Jesus is condemning the religious leaders for placing emphasis on the tiniest details of the law while neglecting the much more important matters of the heart, like justice and mercy and faithfulness. What the Pharisees were doing, they would take their spices and they would measure it out, and even the tenth of their spices they would give. And Jesus is essentially saying that you're taking all of this time and caution to do these small, small acts, and yet you are ignoring the bigger proponents of God's heart. So Jesus doesn't necessarily denounce the act of tithing in this moment, but rather he criticizes the unchanged hearts of those performing the act. So here's where the controversy begins to send in. In the New Testament, a new covenant is established through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus acts as our advocate, and henceforth a new relationship between God and man is born. And if this is sounding a little bit too maybe Bible jurgony for you, let's put it like this. Essentially, there's a new rule book in play. The new covenant says that we no longer have to sacrifice animals to atone for our sins. Anyone is free to accept the gift of Christ and receive everlasting life. Now many scholars believe that tithing is not included in the new covenant, and instead, grace giving has taken its place. The idea of grace giving we can see in 2 Corinthians 8 7. Paul is writing to the church and says, Just as you excel in everything in faith and speech and knowledge and complete earnestness and in your love for us, see also that you excel in this grace of giving. So grace giving does not set any parameters on how much we ought to give. Instead, each person is encouraged to give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. This is found in 2 Corinthians 9 7. The big idea here is we no longer live under the laws of ancient Israel. We are saved by grace, and therefore we can give from the radical outpouring of grace and generosity which we have received through Jesus Christ. Now, not everyone agrees with the notion of grace giving. Still, many scholars support the tithe, arguing that the New Testament does not specifically state that we should stop tithing. And here's where the tension remains. Is the tithe an out-of-date custom intended only for the ancient Israelites? Or is the tithe an overarching principle that carried into the New Covenant? Now, friends, I am not a theologian, I'm a financial counselor. But uh instead of trying to argue the legitimacy of tithing, let's explore how tithing can benefit or hinder your relationship with God. All right, let's talk about first off how tithing can improve your relationship with God. Well, the first thing is that tithing can lead to spiritual growth. And a great example of this that I can give is you know, I was a kid who grew up in the 90s, and I have fond childhood memories spent at the bowling alley. It seemed like Friday evenings, birthday parties, school trips all seemed to revolve around these eight-pound balls and disco lights. All right. And now the trick to bowling is that you have to roll the ball straight to reach your destination. And as a kid, I was terrible at this. You know, if you angle your throw too far to the left or the right, your ball is gonna end up in the gutter. But fortunately for me, bumpers were invented. And bumpers are like these magical guardrails that save your ball from landing in the gutter. And if you bowl with bumpers, your ball is practically guaranteed to reach the end of the lane. So, like bowling with guardrails, tithing is a way to steer our money, which leads us to God. There are many different directions in which we can point our money, but if we put up those buffers that continually point us back to Him, we ensure that God ultimately remains our target. You know, Jesus tells us in Matthew 6, 21, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. And if you want to grow spiritually closer to God, start by giving your money to him. Our hearts follow often where our money leads. The next way that tithing can actually improve our relationship with God is that it can protect us from the dangers of money. You know, some people get a little bit squirmy when we talk about tithing, and for good reason, you know, they may see something like, It's legalism. I don't want rules forced upon me. But we should take care in remembering that some rules truly are good for us. You know, I'm a mom, my kids right now are four and six years old. So they're far from being teenage drivers, but when they begin to drive, I pray that they use their seatbelts. It's not because I want to control them, it's because I love my kids and I want them to be safe. You know, God puts rules in place to keep us safe too. In 1 Timothy 6 10, we read that for the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. You know, money stress can cause anxiety and depression or weight gain or sleep loss. We've seen firsthand how money can damage relationships, and even right now in the US, money fights and money problems is a leading cause for divorce. The danger of money is so great that Jesus calls it out as the number one competitor for our hearts. So the antidote is simple. If you don't want to be burdened by money, give it away. Tithing is a natural first step to leading a generous life. Now, let's talk about how tithing may actually hinder your relationship with God. Well, the first way is that tithing can actually be twisted into trying to earn God's love. Now, you may have grown up in a church or a religious household that maybe put too much emphasis on tithing. And tithing may feel like another ritual to perform to earn God's favor. And if you don't tithe, he will love you less. This viewpoint can put a wedge between you and God because the emphasis is placed on the act of tithing itself and neglects the more important principles of Christianity. That the God of the universe is crazy about you, that his love for you cannot be earned, or for that matter, bought. He simply wants you to be you and to be with him. Now, another way tithing may hinder your relationship with God is that tithing can lead to complacency. In Western societies, we tend to view tithing as the ceiling or the top rung of giving. And once you've started giving 10% of your income, well, then you can sit back and relax because you've made it. But contrary to our modern presumption, the ancient Israelites view tithing as the ground floor. This was the first step of giving. And tithing was not something to strive for, but it was expected from everyone. And I've talked to many people who tithe, yet they receive no joy from their giving. And it feels more like checking a box than experiencing this intimate moment with God. And why is that? Well, I want you to consider a common situation that married couples encounter. You know, when dating, everything is new and exciting, and they work really hard to build the relationship and establish a bond that leads to marriage. And then once married, some people adopt the mindset of, well, I'm married, I finished the race and now I can sit back and relax. Others take on the mindset of, I'm married, the race has only just begun. You know, which mindset do you think leads to a deeper love and intimacy within that relationship? The same is true for our relationship with God. We want to be constantly growing in love with God and growing in likeness to Him. And when our giving stays stagnant, then that often hinders that spiritual growth. The last way that we'll see that tithing potentially can actually hinder our relationship with God is that tithing can be used as a status symbol. If you've been in enough Christian circles, you've probably heard someone say, I am a good Christian, I tithe. The average Christian gives roughly 2.5% of their income to church. So those giving 10% or more could start feeling a bit self-righteous. You know, they say things like, I don't understand why everybody doesn't tithe. It says to do so in the Bible, I must be more spiritual than these people. So when tithing is used as a tool to elevate yourself above others, it is once again miss the mark. Giving, when done in the proper mindset, should produce a spirit of humility, gratitude, and dependence on God. Let's go back to what Jesus says about giving. In his famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus makes several references to the historical laws of ancient Israel. He says, You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, you shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother or sister will be subject to judgment. He continues on, You have heard that it was said, you shall not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Jesus seems to take each one of the laws and then raise the bar. Should we not be surprised that he did the same with giving? In Luke 12, Jesus is addressing the crowd and he's telling his followers, don't worry about your life. Don't be anxious about what you're gonna eat or what you're gonna wear, because life is more than food and the body is more than clothes. And he concludes this particular segment by telling the crowd to sell your possessions and give to the poor, provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. If the ancient Israelites gave out of duty and obedience, how much more so can we give out of grace that has been generously poured out for us? As a Christian financial counselor, I have had many people approach me with the question, do I need to tithe? Although there are many motivations behind this question, a consistent theme seems to be, what's the bare minimum I can give? People seem to be more concerned with giving too much when I think we ought to be concerned about giving too little. One of the first stories in the Bible, the story of Cain and Abel, began with offering sacrifices to God. This happens long before Moses walked the earth, long before the laws of Israel were ever established. We see a glimpse of Abel bringing God, the firstborn of his flock, and this was a sacrifice that truly cost him something and required faith to give. Abel wasn't doing this because Allah told him to. I like how one pastor phrases it. When was the last time you gave and felt it? Friends, I think this is a great place to end our discussion for today. Thank you so much for listening. As we recap again, think through what are the potential ways that tithing can draw you closer to or actually further from God. The end goal is not to figure out what the minimum is that we need to be giving to God, but figure out a way how can we be using our money as a tool to actually draw nearer to Christ and become more like Him. If you enjoyed today's podcast, you would also enjoy our Bible study, The Good Investor's Guide to Spiritual Health and Money. This conversation was actually taken directly from one of the articles in this study, and you'll find all kinds of really great scriptural references, articles, uh, and just really great discussion questions for you to go through with your church or small group. You can find that at Amazon.com or be sure to check out the Center for Financial Discipleship for more resources. Thank you again for joining us, and we will see you next time. Thank you so much for joining us. If you enjoyed the conversation today, then share it with a friend and be sure to subscribe to our podcast so that you never miss an episode. Again, thank you so much for joining us on our mission to change the way we talk about money one conversation at a time. I'm your host, Courtney Markley, and this has been The Heart of Money.