Tithing

In the Old Testament, the Lord commands, "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse." (Micah--can't remember chapter and verse and don't have time to look it up...). Anyway, tithing has long been an issue for Christians. Are we still bound to the 10% rule? Do we "have" to tithe at all? What happens if we miss tithing a paycheck? Do we "owe" back-tithes? Will God not bless us until we're caught up?

I won't pretend to know the answers to all the tithing issues, but a few things I do know: our standing before God is dependent on Christ's work on the cross, alone. Period. We can add nothing to our salvation, not even a religious following of the tithe. The Pharisees were chastised for tithing their mint, dill, and cumin (do you tithe your herbs?), but were still guilty of not loving their fellow men and women.

I also know that God loves a cheerful giver, that everything we have is really the Lord's, and that obedience should be a fruit of our faith. That being said, it seems the very least we should be doing is "tithing" ten percent of our income.

We now have a check sent automatically from our bank to our church every month since we kept forgetting. We are teaching our daughter to give when the offering plate comes around. We also help support some missionary friends of ours. I don't think we have to worry about back tithes; I think it is more important that we start obeying the Lord by giving cheerfully right now, today. When you make your monthly budget, don't forgot to include the amounts you are planning to give to the Lord's work. You might even consider stepping out in faith and giving slightly more than you think you "can." (Maybe my parents will write a guest post on their experiences with Faith Promise giving in previous years.)