Spiritual disciplines are a good thing. Practicing them leads to growth, godliness, and renewed faith. They are easy to get started but keeping them going is much harder. Sometimes we resist them. Other times we allow stumbling blocks to get us off course. Then there are times we just give up on them.
Of all the spiritual disciplines, the one many Christians give up on easily or avoid altogether is tithing. Tithing is simply giving the first 10% of your income back to God. It is intended to be a blessing, not a burden; an act of obedience, not drudgery. Yet, tithing creates a great deal of anxiety for many people, especially those facing financial difficulties.
Before you consider hitting the brakes on tithing, consider a few important things. Tithing is not for God; it is for us. God doesn’t need our tithe; we need our tithe. Tithing is an act of obedience to God’s command. It brings blessing and joy. It also helps create contentment in our heart and keeps God first place in our lives.
The Bible clearly teaches us to give, but it never teaches us to stop giving. There are no opt-out clauses. We give because God first gave to us. And He continues to give to us. He is our never-changing pattern. To grow and become more like God, we have to be a giver like God.
Many who stop giving end up in a worse financial situation. Those who continue to give joyfully from a content heart often find themselves more blessed than ever. I can’t explain it all, but I can tell you God is good and it is more blessed to give than receive.
