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My wife and I have been working to pay down the last of our debt (excluding our mortgage), and I was thinking briefly this morning how much faster I'd be paying my debt down if I didn't tithe or give anything to my church/missions/etc.In years past, I would have been afraid to even consider such a thing. I would have quickly rationalized it away by telling myself, If you did that, the money you have would dry up! You would have less than you do now because you wouldn't be honoring God, and would be under a curse.I am very grateful to God for delivering me from that thinking and theology. Do you know what I think would happen if I quit giving? I think I'd have a lot more money, and I think I'd pay my debt down faster. Though I would be failing to honor God and His commandments, I don't think anything would happen to my job or my income or anything else. Grace is not transactional. My faithful tithing does not earn financial blessing for me. That's not the gospel.So, what do I do? Quit giving, right? Pay down that debt faster!I wouldn't dream of it. Because I am afraid? No. Because I am in love with a gracious God who gives to me even when I don't deserve it, and even though there's nothing I could ever give or do to earn it.Isn't this the message of 2 Corinthians 9:7? Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (ESV)

Dave,This is the right way to give.I too have struggled with my motivation to give. I often did it because I felt I HAD to give to be in favor with God - or I would let me friends down that pastor the church - or my family would be disappointed in me if I didn't give the right amount (because we went to the same church).Not one of those things are what the NT teach regarding giving.Should I tithe gross or net? Should I tithe on my insurance benefits that are provided by my employer? Who knows? I no longer need worry if I am covering all the bases.I finally had a pastor that taught that, yes he believed that 10% was a principle taught by the Bible - but he didn't believe it was a compulsory 10%. He would rather his people prayerfully decided how much they wanted to give - cheerfully - that year - and then keep track - ask God to help them meet it. I wonder if any of my money counted when I gave it out of compulsion - and not at all cheerfully

Dave...

One of the sad things about tithing is that in SOME CASES you are helping someone else pay off THEIR mortgage. Stewardship matters. Folks who tell you that they just give and they are not responsible for what is done with their tithes...are probably morons. If you KNOW that your tithe dollar is being misused, you SHOULD NOT keep giving it there.If you DO NOT KNOW of any misuse (and misuse is different than them just not spending it like you like), then, yes, pay your tithes in good faith.I have concluded that the most powerful thing we can do financially (not in any spiritual sense) is to own your home. If you do, you can take a loan out on your equity to make any other purchases. It becomes, in a sense, your bank.If your house is worth $100,000, any bank in America will loan you $50,000 (or more) on it. If you default and lose your home, then the bank will sell your home to recoup their loan. BUT, if they sell it for $100,000, they can take ONLY what is owed to them...and must give the rest to you.

Aaron, your point about stewardship is excellent. Over the last couple of years I have noticed that the teachers who peddle this theology (big televangelists, Word of Faith guys, etc.) seem to work hard to communicate that our responsibility ends when we write the check. We're responsible to be faithful and give, and after that, we should leave it up to God. It's His business what happens next.

My wife has a mental picture of 10%. Her mind is EXACT. When we married our income was $78 a month. We did not have a bank account so $7.80 went into the envelope. I suggested it would be easier just to put $10 bill in it. $8 tithe and $2 monthly offering She was shocked. That is not 10%. It was a few months until she came around. I don't think many people under 50 years of age at present would ever think as she and others did back then. BUT looking back over the years a ministers preaching/teaching on giving was a teaching of 'fear'. Fear of starving, losing your job, getting sick, etc if you do not tithe.I have always tithed, even when I was back slidden.. Not that I thought it was a DEMAND but because my wife felt better if I did. It was worth the effort. That is funny in a way. I found out after my brothers death that he had paid tithe during the 40 years he was a back slidder. He did get back to the Lord before his death. He died a millionaire and I wondered if his paying tithe and giving to the church when he never attended had anything to do with it.I know I have always been blessed more than I can say. I cannot say if our consistent giving had anything to do with our blessings, I do know from the depths of my heart I have never given to get. I have never believed that. If I did believe that I would give $50K his weekend! I would be so RICH I could then pay for us a new church. Then I would have enough money to jet around the world. If you could honestly give to get Christians as a whole would be very wealthy, not just the mega pastors. Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/