Does a principle like tithing apply only to the prosperous or to everyone? - Prosperity - TouchPoints
Malachi 3:8-108“Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! “But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’ “You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me.9 You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me.10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!
Whether we have much or little, how we view what we have in relation to God is crucial. And one way to establish a discipline of gratitude and recognition of God’s provision is to practice giving back to him part of what he gave to us.
Matthew 23:2323 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.
Jesus underscored the importance of tithing while pointing out that it can be a self-righteousness trap for rich and poor. When it becomes legalistic and a means for public virtue signaling it has lost its purpose in expressing trust to God.
Luke 21:1-41 While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box.2 Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins.3 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them.4 For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.”
Tithing is a basic step in practicing gratitude to God and trust in him. This is as appropriate when we have little as when we have much. A tenth of a little may not seem like much compared to the amount others can give, but it is just as much an act of obedience as someone who gives a lot from a lot.
