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From a young age I was taught that tithes are what we give to God to show our love and respect. We are "obligated" to give back at least this much or we are not "good" people and certainly would not go to heaven. Offering time during Sunday morning church was the time we gave tithes. Okay, if this is sounding a bit legalistic and not very scriptural just give me a minute.

This is the way that giving was portrayed to me through songs and teachings in Sunday school, through watching adults give. I don't believe it was necessarily the message they meant to convey to me, but it came across as being a command to be strictly adhered to rather than a privilege to be rejoiced over.

Tithing has its roots in the Old Testament. When Abraham met a high priest of the Lord, Melchizedek, who gave him a blessing, Abraham gave him one-tenth of everything he had in order to honor the Lord. That example was carried through to the Jewish law, where a tenth of everything (and I mean everything) was given to the Lord. But this, sadly, became a legalistic practice which many probably resented. In the New Testament, although Jesus addresses money issues often, he does not command us to give a certain amount back to God, only to give to God what it God's and to do it cheerfully.

With age, observation and much study of the scriptures, I have come to understand the purpose of tithing and of giving offerings much more clearly. Giving a tithe to God (with 10% as a starting point) shows respect and obedience. It allows us to recognize that all we have is God's and that when we give a portion back for his glory, He will use it to bless many others. Offerings are something we give above the 10% or whatever percentage we regularly give.

Offerings can be given because we feel led to help a specific cause or project, see a need or just have a burden put on our hearts to stretch ourselves and give sacrificially. Offerings are not strictly monetary, but can be given in the form of time and talents as well - sharing a song, providing a listening ear, writing an encouraging word. An offering contains something of us - a personal sacrifice.

Even though many tithe with 10% or more, many others do not tithe at all, but just drop an occasional bill into the offering plate without any prayer or planning. And even with the sacrificial offerings that many give, I don't think the total averages out to 10% across the board.

Reading an article on tithing a few months ago, I wondered why it is that people are willing to go out to dinner on Saturday night and tip the server 15-20%, then go to church on Sunday morning and put $20 in the offering plate without having an attack of conscience. Perhaps our society has succeeded in spreading the message that we work hard for what we have and we deserve to enjoy it. I guess we tend to forget about the part where everything we have belongs to God and is a blessing from God and that we don't deserve any of it, much less the priceless gift of eternal life He offers us.

If we look at tithing based on the standards of society, assuming that a 15% tip is expected and a good tip is at least 20%, then we are leaving God a very poor tip. How insulting it must be to Him to know that many of us resentfully give a mere 10% of what He has blessed us with and still expect good service from Him: Prayers answered, promotions arranged, infirmities healed, relationships repaired, and wishes granted. This attitude is not new; Paul writes to the Philippians that they were the only church who gave to him during the early part of his ministry.

I certainly am guilty of writing that check for Sunday morning and thinking of the bills it could pay or the things I could buy with it. My prayer, therefore, must begin not when I write the check, but with each new day, that I might be wise in receiving and sharing all the blessings God showers on me.

Although our motive for giving should actually not be a motive, but our love of the Lord, Proverbs 18:16 says, "A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great." In Malachi 3, God explains that trust and blessings go hand-in-hand. "Yet you rob me . . . In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse - the whole nation of you - because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe in to the storehouse that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,' says the Lord Almighty, 'and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vine in your fields will not cast their fruit,' says the Lord Almighty. 'Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land.'"

"God's Words For US" from Cecelia Lester

The Importance of Prayer