Tithing is Not a Consumer Transaction

MONEY MATTERS WITH DR. ANDREW LEE

Proverbs 3:9, "Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce" (NLT). Recently, I have felt led to write another article about the importance of tithing. I last wrote about this topic several years ago, describing my family’s testimony of God’s faithfulness through tithing as the Bible instructs. But these are extraordinary times, so I’d like to revisit this issue. During our current pandemic crisis, many churches have either voluntarily or involuntarily closed their doors and gone to online-only services. This has led to a marked decline in giving (tithes and offerings) at many churches, even though most churches today offer their members easy ways to give online from anywhere. Apparently, if some Christians are not seated inside a church building with the offering bag being passed in front of their faces, they feel no inclination to give to help fund and further the work of God’s kingdom— at least until their church resumes holding services in person.

I understand the logic behind this decision (though, as I hope to show, it’s misguided logic). I’ve even spoken informally with some fellow Christians on this issue, and some of their responses have confirmed what I had already surmised. The dilemma stems from viewing tithing as a consumer transaction rather than as an act of worship, obedience, and gratitude. A consumer transaction mindset looks at tithing this way: “Since church is closed and I’m not sitting in the pew to receive my purchase (in the form of choir music and an uplifting sermon), why should I pay (tithe) for a service I never received?” After all, you wouldn’t give money at the checkout of a clothing store if you didn’t leave the store with any new clothes, would you? Even though many churches are streaming live worship music

Dr. Andrew Lee is professor of English at Lee University. He also serves as a coordinator for Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. He and his wife Esmerelda have three children.

and sermons online every Sunday, this consumer-transaction mindset continues, sounding something like this: “I didn’t have a chance to watch the livestream service this week, so I’ll resume my giving once I’m able to regularly watch online.” Here are some serious questions to consider. Is God confined to a church building? Does He live there and can be found only inside that building? Does He continue to bless you and give you life, protect you and your family, and answer your prayers, even in the midst of this pandemic when you aren’t sitting inside your church building? Isn’t God worthy of the tenth of your income as His Word instructs? I hope the answers to these questions are obvious for Christians. His love never fails; His mercy and blessings allow us to continue to live, and move, and have our being (Acts 17:28).

I listen to a lot of podcasts regarding business, real estate, and investing, and here’s a wonderfully surprising discovery I’ve made. Many times on these podcasts, the guests and hosts are Christians who are unashamed and who are happy to give glory to God for their success. I’m talking about men and women who are worth millions, tens of millions, and hundreds of millions of dollars. We recall in the Gospels where Jesus mentions the challenge of “the rich” entering the kingdom of Heaven, so it’s refreshing for me to hear of many wealthy Christians who point to tithing as one of the cornerstones of their financial success. Deuteronomy 8:18 reminds us, “But remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth.” This truth doesn’t change just because your church is temporarily halting in-person services. God is still (and always is) worthy of a tenth—the tithe.

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