Tithing - Fact or Fiction?

If you subscribe to virtually any religious or spiritual belief you've likely heard about tithing. Whether or not you are actually tithing is another thing.

Tithing can be a very emotionally charged activity. It has been said that what you put out your receive back tenfold. Is this true or is it simply a way for a church or spiritual group to strong arm followers to give up their money? Some people believe wholeheartedly in the spiritual practice of tithing while others view it as manipulation. What do I believe? Read on to find out. 

Views on tithing
There are many different views of what tithing is and is not. Some believe true tithing only happens when you give to a church or somewhere you are spiritually fed. Others feel that any act of freely giving money to a person or institution is a form of tithing.

Regardless of what one's belief about where the money goes, the energy in which the money is given impacts the gift and the giver.

Gratitude or Resentment
As a child, I can still remember as if it was yesterday, the brass plates passed from row to row to gather money by church ushers. Even at a young age I could see and feel there were some people who willingly gave and did so with gratitude and others who resistantly gave up their hard earned money.

Since that time, I have witnessed this same thing in various churches and other gatherings I have attended where a bowl, plate or basket is passed around for money. There are those who willingly give and those who have extreme difficulty parting with their money.

I must admit, I have been both resistant and willing. Both carry an emotional charge. When I was in resistance the emotional charge was that of fear, lack and there just wasn't enough to go around.

It was only when I got to a place of trusting that that which I gave would bless another and somehow, someway come back to me multiplied that the feeling went from one of fear to one of gratitude.

No expectations
An essential element of tithing is to hold no expectation on the money when it leaves our possession. Further, to have no expectation of us benefiting in any way other than through the blessing of blessing others.

It is when there is no expectations placed on tithing that the greatest blessings come. How do I know this to be true? From my own experience and the experience of others who willingly tithe.

Years ago, I was experiencing very lean times. It was a real struggle to pay the bills let alone give any of my money away. A friend invited me to her nondenominational church. It was actually classified more as a spiritual center than a traditional church.

On that day I was obviously open to receiving a message about the blessings of tithing. The minister spoke of money as energy and how charged that energy is for many people. She also said that if we trusted that God (Higher Power, Universe, All that Is) is our source, we would not fear letting go of the money.

She also pointed out that once we release the money, we need to totally release it. What this means is, don't even think about what else you could have done with the money. Let it go. Get into a feeling of gratitude for having the ability to bless another.

When I heard her say this, something connected for me. Trust. Trust. Trust.

Increase your giving
At that time giving a dollar was a big deal to me. On that particular occasion I decided to trust what she was saying. I gave $20 and did my best to let it go.

The most amazing thing happened. Within a few short days I was experiencing more abundance than I had in quite some time. Blessings were coming from a variety of places; places that I never would have thought I would receive them from.

Since that time, I have been keenly aware of the power of tithing. However, there were several occasions I would forget the $20 experience. Whenever I did, I seemed to be moving in a place of fear with thoughts of lack.

History repeats itself
In the early days of my business I again found myself in a place of struggle and fear. Again, I attended a service where the minister talked about the gift of tithing.

At that time I had $40 in my checking account and money was very tight. After hearing Reverend Christopher preach about tithing, I again chose to move in a space of trust. I took $20 of the $40 dollars and tithed.

The most amazing thing happened. The very next day I received a letter in the mail. When I opened it a $10 bill literally floated out of the envelope. The day after that I received a check from a utility company for an overpayment I had made on a utility service nearly a year before. Within days, my account went from $40 to over $500.

Does tithing work to bring blessings? I believe it does. I also believe to my very core that how and why we tithe is important to recognize. Do we do it because we feel moved to do it or because we think it is expected of us?

What are your beliefs and experiences with tithing? Do you feel joy when you tithe or do you have feelings of lack and fear surface?

It is in the level of trust we have the blessings are created and we are in more of a position to recognize those blessings.

Be blessed.

Comments

[Jan Deelstra]

Kathleen, This is priceless and timely information. I REALLY appreciate you. As a fund raiser for Blessings In The Mire, I tend to lose sight of the other side of the coin of prosperity. Thanks for reminding me that in addition to soliciting donations, I need to remember to make those charitable donations myself too!
Be Blessed With Love and Abundance. You deserve the best life has to offer. Thanks again.
Love & Light,
Jan

[Kathleen Gage]

Hi Jan,

Yes. Sometimes we can forget there are two sides to the coin. A few years ago, I was asked to do a retreat with the board of directors of a trans-denominational church. They were having some financial struggles and were hoping to get ideas on how to increase the size of the congregation and the tithings by their members.

I asked them what percentage the church was tithing to other causes and to my surprise (or maybe not so much a surprise) they said, "We don't have enough to tithe. When we get more we will."

I about fell out of my chair. In order to be abundant and prosperous one must be willing to walk their talk. If a spiritual leader or representatives from a spiritual center or church tells others how important tithing is and the church or spiritual center they are representing does not partake in this practice, is it a surprise they are experiencing lack?

Abundance comes from a space of trust. Trust that there is more than enough and what we put out will return many fold.

Kathleen Gage

[Ken Everett]

Deu 14: (22) You shall truly tithe all the increase of your seed that the field brings forth year by year. (23) And you shall eat before Jehovah your God in the place which He shall choose to place His name there, the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the first-born of your herds and of your flocks, so that you may learn to fear Jehovah your God always. (24) And if the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry it, or if the place is too far from you, which Jehovah your God shall choose to set His name there, when Jehovah your God has blessed you, (25) then you shall turn it into silver and bind up the silver in your hand, and shall go to the place which Jehovah your God shall choose. (26) And you shall pay that silver for whatever your soul desires, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatever your soul desires. And you shall eat there before Jehovah your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household (27) and the Levite within your gates, you shall not forsake him, for he has no part nor inheritance with you. (28) At the end of three years you shall bring forth all the tithe of your increase the same year, and shall lay it up inside your gates. (29) And the Levite, because he has no part nor inheritance with you, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, who are inside your gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied, so that Jehovah your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do. (MKJV)

I bet you've NEVER heard a sermon preached on these scriptures before !! Yet almost to a man the church leaders throw Malachi 3 at believers, telling them that to 'rob God' brings a terrible curse ! This is nothing short of spiritual extortion ! They imply that the 'finished work if the cross' is not enough to prevent the curse incurred by failing to tithe ! They somehow fail to mention that 'Malachi' was a prophet, berating the PRIESTS who were robbing God ! They seem to overlook the fact that the 'windows of heaven' (according to the hermeneutical law of 'first mention') refers to RAIN !!!!! (Gen 8:2)
I believe that all believers should grow their giving together with their faith, giving of anything and everything that God has blessed them with (money, goods, time, talents, you name it) AS they are led by the Holy Spirit. Instead church leaders place them under bondage to the curse of not tithing (irrespective of their financial poritions) making them feel like and grow into second-class citizens in the Kingdom of God. These people battle to reach spiritual maturity because of a man-imposed guilt.
Don't people realise that our giving is a confidential transaction between us and Jesus Christ, and that to brag about tithing or to question whether other people 'also tithe' is to receive their reward here on earth (Matt 6:3-4)
According to the leaders, 10% of your income assures you of financial (and possibly other) blessings. So what if you can only afford 9.9999% ?? Do you believe that God is so small-minded that he counts our pennies and THEN decides whether He should bless or curse this child (co-heir with Christ) of His ?? I think not !! People - GOD LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER !
Now for a truly controversial thought : I wonder what the total value of the Christian churches in the world would be...? Perhaps sufficient to send out more than enough missionaries with more than enough funds to spread the gospel to every corner of the world ?? To the (known, Biblical) end that this would guarantee the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ ?? D'you think we could get the church leaders to go along with such an idea ? I believe their answers will indicate very clearly how much faith thay have the Word which they so easily abuse to line their own pockets.....