Shouldn’t I just give whatever amount is on my heart?
God’s word says “The heart is deceitful above all things” Jeremiah 17:9. We have to be very careful about relying on what we feel especially when it comes to money. Often this question or statement is an excuse for those who don’t want to tithe. Sometimes 2 Cor. 9:7 is quoted to support this concept. But 2 Cor. 9 is not referring to the tithe, but to a separate benevolent offering Paul was taking to relieve the famine stricken Jerusalem church. So yes, give as much or as little as you want for offerings, but the tithe belongs to God. Isn’t it interesting that when we rely on our “hearts” to determine an amount instead of just obeying God, we often shortchange what God desires? What is ironic though is that as we tithe our hearts do change and we do become more generous! This does not mean that we don’t pray and ask for discernment in giving issues. Giving is a heart matter! The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart. We need to be careful not to fall into the trap of making excuses for our disobedience. And on the flip side we want to be careful that we don’t slip into legalism by approaching tithing as a “10% tax” and ignore the heart issues of giving.
God’s word says “The heart is deceitful above all things” Jeremiah 17:9. We have to be very careful about relying on what we feel especially when it comes to money. Often this question or statement is an excuse for those who don’t want to tithe. Sometimes 2 Cor. 9:7 is quoted to support this concept. But 2 Cor. 9 is not referring to the tithe, but to a separate benevolent offering Paul was taking to relieve the famine stricken Jerusalem church. So yes, give as much or as little as you want for offerings, but the tithe belongs to God. Isn’t it interesting that when we rely on our “hearts” to determine an amount instead of just obeying God, we often shortchange what God desires? What is ironic though is that as we tithe our hearts do change and we do become more generous! This does not mean that we don’t pray and ask for discernment in giving issues. Giving is a heart matter! The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart. We need to be careful not to fall into the trap of making excuses for our disobedience. And on the flip side we want to be careful that we don’t slip into legalism by approaching tithing as a “10% tax” and ignore the heart issues of giving.
