It’s Not About the Tithe

Churches move forward and grow through people with generous hearts. Many studies have been conducted on churches, and a principle has been discovered that generally operates in many other areas of humanity. It is the 20–80 principle

. In the case of churches, it is as follows: In most churches, 20% of the people give 80% of the money. Likewise, 20% do 80% of the work, and so on.

There is a group of people who stand out for being generous. Many times, those people have been blessed financially. Sometimes one wonders, ‘Which comes first, the chicken or the egg?’ Are they blessed because they have been generous, or are they generous because they have been blessed? I believe that, generally, a generous person will be blessed. And I have seen this continually—that there is a correlation in the church: God blesses people who are openhanded, who are giving, who are always the first to step forward when there is a need in the church or when a project arises that is going to be carried out.

Do not wait until you are blessed to give. Give, and inevitably you will be blessed.

Be one of that chosen twenty percent. Do not lean on the generosity of others. Give according to your ability, and give even beyond your ability.

In the Bible, in 2 Corinthians, chapter 8 speaks about the believers in Macedonia. In verse 1, it says, ‘...Moreover, brothers, we make known to you the grace of God that has been given to the churches of Macedonia.’

Look at that: the grace of God fell upon these believers, and therefore they gave. Giving is a grace, even a favor, that comes from God. ‘...That in a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their generosity.’

There are people who say, ‘I am too poor to tithe. I have too many needs. People who have money can do that.’ If you reason that way, you are not understanding what is most important. What God asks is that you give 10% of what you have, not of what you do not have. The person who has much gives 10% of the much they have. The person who has very little gives 10% of the very little they have. In that way, both give, and both are blessed.

And these people, the Macedonians, gave not because they were rich, but, it says, ‘out of their deep poverty they abounded in the riches of generosity.’

Notice what great praise these people receive. It says, ‘...For I testify that willingly...’ The Bible declares that God loves a cheerful giver. When you give, do not give while looking with terrible sadness at that little bit of money slipping out of your hands, watching the pesos sprout wings and fly away. Give with a joyful heart. Give with a daring heart. Shout, ‘Hallelujah!’ because God is allowing you to be his fellow worker here on earth and because he promises to unleash his blessing upon your finances, your work, and every other aspect of your life.

‘...They have given according to their ability, willingly, and even beyond their ability.’ People say, ‘Well, what is this business about the tithe? Do we have to give it or not?’ Others say, ‘I do not believe in the tithe because that belongs to the Old Testament. Under Grace, it is not necessary to tithe.’ Well, let us suppose for a moment that this were so, that the tithe were only for the Old Testament. What I see in the New Testament is that those who give sacrificially, those who give beyond their ability, are always praised. That is why Jesus praised the widow; that is why he praised the Macedonians; that is why the woman who anointed Jesus with extremely costly perfume is praised; that is why Jesus Christ is praised in Philippians 2.

Whenever God praises someone who gives, he praises the generous, extravagant person.

Paul says, ‘The one who sows generously will reap generously.’ The question is not whether we should tithe. The real question is whether we are giving to the Lord generously, extravagantly. If you do not believe in the tithe, then I am going to propose something to you: Give as the Bible says, according to your ability and beyond your ability. And do you know what? Then you will have to give more than the tithe. I would rather stick with the tithe than have to give beyond my ability continually. Choose whichever you want, however. Choose to give according to the tithe or always to give beyond your ability.

What God wants is for us to be generous toward him, to be cheerful in giving, to be almost reckless in our generosity toward him. When we do that, we open God’s heart, and he makes the blessing rain down until it overflows upon our lives.