“Tithe” literally means one‑tenth. It’s a mathematical term.
When the Bible talks about tithes, it means 10%. Followers of Jesus are called to trust with their finances by faithfully returning the whole tithe (10% of their income) to “the storehouse” (the Church). So if you get $10, you tithe $1. If you get $100, you tithe $10. And so on…
And in that step of faith, through the tithe, God promises blessing.
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘if I will not open up for you a blessing until it overflows.’”
-Malachi 3:10 (New American Standard)
The Principle of the First
If we say He is first in our hearts, then He must be first in our finances, our families, and our faith.
There are many blessings that go along with tithing. But it is the principle of putting God first and trusting Him that initiates the blessings.
You may be thinking, “But I can’t afford to tithe. I already spend far more than I bring in.”
You will never be able to afford to tithe until you tithe. We can always afford to give if we give first. In other words, we may not be able to afford to give everything we want, but we can always afford to give. It’s all about where you place your faith.
We may not be able to afford to give everything we want, but we can always afford to give.
If God is truly first, we show it through our faithfulness in honoring the tithe to Him. We sacrifice the first that He might bless the rest.
“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
-2 Corinthians 9:6-8
Here’s a challenge꞉
Pray and ask God to reveal to you where in your life He is not first.
What changes do you need to make to give Him His proper place?
Where does the Tithe go?
Our giving not only honors God, changes our hearts, and makes deposits in our eternal account (Matthew 6)…
but it also funds the mission to change lives.
So, we celebrate with heaven for every soul that finds new life in Christ.
We are honored to serve our local and global community through generosity.
To learn more, you can read about our Outreach partners and look over 12Stone’s Annual Report.
