Should I Tithe From My Business?

Go to any church, especially in the States, and there will almost assuredly be a time in the service for giving. This is most commonly associated with the term “tithing”. However, is tithing today even Biblical?  To put it bluntly, no, it is not. Tithing was part of the Law of Israel that did not carry over. Any argument that this is still mandated today must then explain why all the other laws given to Israel should not be followed. Also,the Law did not merely command 10% and it was not to your local church leaders. The money was going to the government/Levitical priesthood to pay for certain things. The priesthood did much more for the people than the local church does today. There were other tithes/offerings throughout the year that were also mandatory. When you consider all the required giving for the Israelites it was around 23 percent.  Here are some Scriptures that touch on giving in the Old Testament: Genesis 14:19-20, Leviticus 27:30-34, Numbers 18:21, Numbers 18:26, Deuteronomy 12:5-6, Deuteronomy 14:22 and Deuteronomy 14:28-29.

Who Should We Give To?

Throughout the Bible there is a consistent theme that the Lord wants believers to take care of other believers specifically the poor, the widowed and the orphaned. This does not mean that we should not look to help any of these groups who are not believers but there is a definite emphasis on taking care of believers first. There are several verses that indicate we should also support those who are teachers of the Word or in spiritual leadership. 1 Timothy 5:17-18 is probably the most common verse that supports this. We need people to dedicate their days to studying the Word and seeking the Holy Spirit’s guidance in understanding it so that they can accurately teach it. This is a great benefit to the Body. Hopefully you are involved in a church where there is solid teaching of the Word in its proper context. Ideally, that church also puts an emphasis on benevolence giving within the church and/or other types of outreach.

How Much Should We Give Now?

We briefly reviewed why tithing, as it is commonly understood, is not something that is mandated for believers today. However, you cannot escape that giving is something that we should be doing today. I would be just as weary of a believer who says that they do not need to give today as I would be of a church leader demanding that one should give at least 10% of their income. 2 Corinthians 9:7 is the best verse that summarizes how we as Christians today should give:

“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

There are four easy principles to take away from this:

1. Decide in your heart what to give – as with most of the New Testament it is a heart issue. There is not any sort of set amount or percentage but rather what you are convicted of.
2. Do not give reluctantly – this should not feel like a task that you just check off so that you align with being a good Christian.
3. Do not give under compulsion – unfortunately the 10% “tithing rule” has been used to pressure people to give a certain amount. Some churches have taken this to an extreme.
4. Cheerful giver – this naturally flows from the first three principles. If you have already decided in your heart to give, it will not be reluctantly or under the pressure from someone else. This will lead to happily giving from what the Lord has blessed you with.

So, Should I Give From My Business?

I’ll rely on the above Scripture from 2 Corinthians to give the answer, it is up to you to decide in your heart. I think it is wonderful to make it a discipline to give from your business on top of what you give personally. I think using 10% as a general rule is a good place to start either personally or with your business but, again, it should be what you have decided in your heart. From the get-go it was decided that at least 10% of the gross revenue Guided Insight generated would be used to bless others. That stemmed from years of the Lord working on my heart on giving. I say that humbly based on my own personal convictions not as what the standard is. However, I would encourage you to take the time, if you have not done so in a while, to truly seek the Lord in what is wise as far as saving for the future and what He could be calling you to give.

Takeaway

The New Testament is a constant calling of one’s heart to the Lord. It is common to critique the Pharisees but Jesus says one’s righteousness has to exceed that of the Pharisee. He praised their zeal and commitment to the law while also declaring that their hearts were far from Him. Most churches would gladly proclaim that we are no longer under the law while simultaneously saying you need to tithe your 10%. That has led to giving being a box on a Christian’s checklist of do’s and don’ts which I do not believe is the point. Maybe the zeal and commitment are prevalent but what about the heart? It is why Paul’s description of giving to the Corinthians is the perfect encapsulation of what the Lord now desires in regards to giving. The old produced reluctancy out of compulsion while the new comes from the desire of the heart. In light of the understanding of the grace you have received from Christ along with the abundance that you have been blessed with give in proportionate to those things. May the Lord give you wisdom.

“ And He (Jesus) sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. ⁴² And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. ⁴³ And He called his disciples to him and said to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. ⁴⁴ For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.'”

Mark 12:41-44