Tithe Your Way Out Of Debt?

In the course of being active in the local church and attaining Associate Degrees in Pastoral Counseling and Theology, I became convinced that "tithe your way out of debt" is false teaching.

There is no scripture that justifies this, not even Malachi.

In fact, much of the church teaches Malachi wrongly. They do not teach the entire passage on tithing. They leave out its beginning that speaks of "you have gone away from mine ordinances". The word "ordinances" means "laws". And, as Paul said -" he (Jesus) released us from the curse of the law".

This teaching that you can give your way out of debt, or, to put it another way they teach it, "you can't out give God", has ruined many Christian families.

We had an evangelist come to our church and teach "Want a better house? Give yours away and God will give you a better house!" One woman in the church actually put her wedding ring in the plate because she was so far in debt she had no money to give. She would have been better off pawning the ring for cash and putting it towards a debt! You can imagine, her husband was not at all pleased! The Pastor had enough sense to give her back the ring.

Listen - if you are giving to get, you will be disappointed and go broke!

Jesus taught a lot about money. He taught that we should be good stewards of God's money. He taught that we should be smart investors of God's money. He taught that we should pay our taxes (render unto Caesar what is Caesar's). And, Proverbs tells us - "neither a borrower nor a lender be".

The Bible is full of advice about money, debt, work, and responsibility. Unfortunately, most Christians don’t read it and study it. They would rather take the word of some evangelist because it sounds good and they are desperate!

Someone said to me - "I tithe faithfully but God is not blessing me. I can't figure it out"

I answered - "Well, maybe it's because you spend $50.00 a week going to a massage parlor and another $20.00 a week on beer. That's $70.00 a week you could be giving to God's work."

I believe God does not look at how much you give. He looks at your heart, your motive for giving, and, He looks at what you do with the money he has put into your hands. There are many scriptures to support this. Take some time and read the book of James. It's a short and powerful book.

Because of Malachi, many people believe that all we need to do is give God 10% ("tithe means 10%) plus an offering above the tithe amount and we have met God's law. But, we are no longer under the law, remember?

Case in point: When I was a fund raiser for a major Christian ministry we received a check from a gentleman for $159.70 each and every month. No doubt, this was a tithe (10%) from his income.

So, Jim, how should I give?

1) Pay off your debts! You are a Christian. If you are a deadbeat, what does this say to non-Christians? Get a second job if you have to. But, get out of debt. Get Christian Credit Counseling if necessary. But, get out of debt!

2) Give what you can for now. Even one-dollar! Give it cheerfully!

3) Don't give to be blessed. Give with the idea you are helping the work of the church to bring others to Christ or to help others in need.

4) Stop squandering God's money (like the example above). Spend on what you need, not on what you want.

In my own life, once I understood Malachi, my financial situation changed dramatically for the better. I began by asking the Holy Spirit how much I should give, ignoring the 10% rule.

Once he said - "Give $200.00".

I said - "We only have $300.00 in our checking account".

He said - "Give $200.00".

I said - "OK" and did not run out of money to meet our needs.

Another time He said - "Don't give anything. You're going to need it".

I said - "OK". and, guess what, we needed it for an unexpected bill.

Did the Holy Spirit talk to me out loud? No, of course not! It was a clear thought, a knowing that it was Him speaking. After a while you will get to know when it’s Him talking to you in your thoughts.

Ever since my wife and I have been giving this way, most of our debts are gone, our bank account has grown, and, best of all, our needs are always met. Now, you have a Mortgage or pay Rent, maybe a car payment, food on the table, clothing, etc. These are debts that almost everyone must incur. The point is, always ask yourself, “Do we need this or just want this?" That simple question will keep you out of debt better than any budget plan devised by man.

This will get you started on the road to abundance.

You will be blessed!
Jim DeSantis

_____________________________________