Money has always played an important role in our lives, and conflict over money can easily arise, whether in businesses regarding who gets the largest share or estates when it comes to distributing inheritances. Sadly, people also wonder whether they should tithe or not. Sometimes even the amount becomes the issue. Is it okay not to give the whole ten percent of your income? As such, money has always been seen as something that causes trouble. In other words, it’s the root of all evil. However, when you read the Bible, that’s not the case. It’s actually the love of money that’s the root of all evil along with the trouble that comes with it (see the article about What Does The Bible Say About Greed?). Besides, why would people fight for money if they don’t love it?
When we deal with money, we’re dealing with the heart since the love of money is a problem of the heart. Before we expand on this point further, let’s establish a few facts first about the love of money to help us understand why not being able to tithe is a heart matter.
The Bible compares money with God. In fact, the Bible tells the people to choose either money or God (Luke 16:13 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”). You cannot serve two masters. Either you will serve money, or you will serve God. This means you will either have God as your god or money as your god. The real issue lying here is idolatry, having a different God aside from God Himself (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 6:5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.). The love of money is idolatrous since one loves money more than God and depends on it rather than depending on God. It’s not the same with the kind of love you give to your friends as you still love God more than them. Here, money becomes your god.
Tithing Is Also a Heart Matter
Tithing Is Also a Heart Matter
That is also one of the matters that lie behind why one finds it hard to tithe, but it’s not the only one. If a person doesn’t tithe, that doesn’t necessarily mean they love money or have a bad issue. It may be that the person is suspicious about whether the church is a good steward of tithes or if the Holy Spirit is still working on them. So don’t judge when you know that someone is not tithing.
It’s not an accident that God asked for ten percent of our income. In our income, ten percent is big, right? In the culture of the Old Testament, ten percent of what they had symbolized or represented everything they had. That is why being able to give God a tenth of what you have is like giving God everything you have (Leviticus 27:32 Every tithe of the herd and flock—every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod—will be holy to the Lord.). Tithing is also an act of submission and obedience to God, showing that God is your god, not the possessions you have.
Tithing Is Also a Heart Matter
Tithing Is Also a Heart Matter
The good thing is we already have a transformed and regenerated heart thanks to the Holy Spirit. With the help of the Holy Spirit and God’s grace, we can always choose God over money and use the money for His Kingdom.
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