What Is Tithing?

 

A tithe is a tenth / 10% of the whole of someting.

 

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse. Test me in this says the Lord, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have enough room for it. (Malachi 3:10, NIV).

 

In the New Testament, the emphasis is on recognizing that everything we have comes from God and belongs to him. We are simply stewards, managers of the stuff that God has given us to use for his purposes. We're to give cheerfully to God and to meet the needs of others (Matthew 23:23, 2 Corinthians 9:7).

 

Is tithing today a good idea? Yes! It's a good starting place to develop the discipline of generosity. We learn to give every week, whether we feel like it or not. It's a way of remembering all that God has given us, on a weekly basis. And it also trains us to live on less than we earn—an absolutely vital lifelong skill.