What is tithing?
Tithing is a sacrificial gift of one's time, talent, and treasure to God.
Where did tithing come from?
Tithing is first mentioned in Genesis 14:18-20. Abram attributes a victory in battle to God and offers a tenth of the spoils to the high priest Melchizedek in thanksgiving.
After that, tithing becomes frequent. We see it in Jacob's promise in Genesis 28, in a command from God in Leviticus 27, in Mosaic Law in Deuteronomy 14 and many more times throughout the Old Testament.
Why should you tithe?
First and foremost, you should tithe because it is right and just to give thanks to God for the blessings he has bestowed upon you.
Second, you should tithe because you are required to by the precepts of the Catholic Church.
Third, you should tithe because it is good for you! Tithing accomplishes all of the following:
- SANCTIFIES you because "God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:6-7)
- FULFILLS you by investing you in Christ's mission on Earth to save souls
- WISENS you by preventing you from being overly attached to material things
- HUMBLES you by acknowledging that everything you have came from God
- CHEERS you up because science shows gratitude makes you happy
It really is different for every person. This is evidenced by stories like "The Widow's Mite" in Luke 21:1-4. However, I do have four universal guidelines that I believe will help you.
- You should give of your TIME, TALENT, and TREASURE. (Not just treasure.) God gave you all three, so offer all three up.
- You should give 'til it hurts. I don't mean agony, but it should affect your life. You should be aware of how much you are giving.
- God desires mercy more than sacrifice. (Matthew 9:13) The pain of the sacrifice is not what is important. It is the love behind the giving that really matters.
- On a logistical note, when planning financials set aside your tithe first. And set aside savings second. Then take care of everything else. If it isn't a priority it won't happen.
Conclusion
As with all things, God reveals His wisdom and love in tithing.
For it is in sacrificing that we better understand Christ's sacrifice.
And it is in giving what we have, that we receive more than we could ask for.
Keep Pursuing
Additional Resources
Below are three articles by Father Rocky at Relevant Radio saying it better than I ever could:
What does the Church believe about tithing?
Stewardship and the Three T's
Thou shalt give ten percent?
And here is Catholic Answers, again, doing a better job than I:
Here is a link to the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the need to tithe:
"The faithful also have the duty of providing for the material needs of the Church, each according to his abilities."
Here is a link to what Canon Law has to say about tithing:
"The Christian faithful are obliged to assist with the needs of the Church so that the Church has what is necessary for divine worship, for the works of the apostolate and of charity, and for the decent support of ministers. They are also obliged to promote social justice and, mindful of the precept of the Lord, to assist the poor from their own resources." ~ Can 222_1
Seriously though, how much?
Are you still reading this?!
Well, I meant what I said, it depends on the person. God gave everyone different blessings to use accordingly. However, if you need some concrete help starting out, consider the following:
Tithing is almost universally understood to mean 10% because that is how much the patriarchs of the Old Testament gave. Most people should try and start at tithing 10%.
And of that 10%, you don't have to give it all to the Church. I believe a good approach is to give half of your tithe to the Church and the other half to charitable organizations and people in need.
That being said, don't get comfortable! I have friends whose goal in life is to achieve a "reverse tithe"...giving 90% of their income to charity and only keeping 10% to live on!
Lastly, if Catholics gave just 1% of their income to the Church, the Church would be able to resolve all of its debts and achieve financial freedom.
It may be difficult at first. It may cause pain re-prioritizing your financials. But at the end of the day, if Christ's mission (the Church) isn't worth 1% of your time, talent, and treasure. Can you really say it's important to you?
Are you storing up treasure on Earth? Or in Heaven?
Are you still reading this?!
Well, I meant what I said, it depends on the person. God gave everyone different blessings to use accordingly. However, if you need some concrete help starting out, consider the following:
Tithing is almost universally understood to mean 10% because that is how much the patriarchs of the Old Testament gave. Most people should try and start at tithing 10%.
And of that 10%, you don't have to give it all to the Church. I believe a good approach is to give half of your tithe to the Church and the other half to charitable organizations and people in need.
That being said, don't get comfortable! I have friends whose goal in life is to achieve a "reverse tithe"...giving 90% of their income to charity and only keeping 10% to live on!
Lastly, if Catholics gave just 1% of their income to the Church, the Church would be able to resolve all of its debts and achieve financial freedom.
It may be difficult at first. It may cause pain re-prioritizing your financials. But at the end of the day, if Christ's mission (the Church) isn't worth 1% of your time, talent, and treasure. Can you really say it's important to you?
Are you storing up treasure on Earth? Or in Heaven?
I wrote a similar article with a little different approach. Of course, the conclusion is the same!
ReplyDeletefromthebackofthechurch.blogspot.com/2013/11/not-giving-money-to-church.html