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“How Much Should We Tithe?”

Thoughts for Today:

Throughout his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul has been encouraging them to labor faithfully. Now he gives them the practical opportunity to do so by making a financial gift to believers in Jerusalem who were suffering from the lingering effects of a famine. Previously (verse 2), Paul said, "Each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income." Although, Paul is speaking about giving (additional amounts beyond the tithe), the principles are much the same.

Tithing is not just an Old Testament practice, it is often referred to in the New Testament as well. For example, Jesus said in Matthew 23:23, "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." The point Jesus made was to continue tithing [10 percent], just not neglect justice, mercy, and faithfulness.

Malachi 3:8 tells us: "Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, 'How are we robbing you?' In tithes and offerings." If we don't tithe, we're robbing God and our perspective needs to be adjusted. A tithe isn't a gift to God; it is simply a return of what is already His. Yet, there is even more. Malachi 3:10 continues: "'Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,' says the Lord Almighty, 'and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.'"

This is the only place in Scripture that God says to "test" Him. He says, "You will see how much I will bless you -- if you stop robbing Me. Bring your tithe to the storehouse. Let it go. Give it up and watch what happens. I will bless you in ways you can't imagine -- financially, emotionally, or eternally. I'll bless you so much you'll never regret the tithe!"

Questions to Ponder:

Have you ever regretted the amount you tithed? Like me, I'm certain you haven't. Why? Because the blessings we receive always exceed the tithe. Will you trust the Lord? He loves us and wants to bless us. Sometimes we just need to move outside of our own self-centeredness to experience His blessing. Will you test Him this week? Will you tithe faithfully?

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About the author

Pocket Devotions are written by Mike Brooks. A retired businessman, he is Moderator of South Shores church, leads the Deacon Board, serves on the finance committee, and he teaches a Men's Bible study and the Men's Ministry. Mike has a passion for evangelical missions. He is the husband of Sherry; the father of Ryan, Natalie, Krissy, Rebecca, and Amanda; the father-in-law of Ariel; and the grandfather of Conner and Christian.