Many Christians are deep in debt, struggling to make ends meet, and living from check to check. Christians who practice monetary ‘tithing’ are not immune to this, and some wonder whether they should ‘tithe’ or pay their bills.
Some religious leaders who promote monetary ‘tithing’ advise struggling saints to keep ‘tithing’ and trust God to provide their needs. Such advice shows no regard for the well-being of God’s people. It is unbiblical and unsound for a number of reasons. . .
1. If a religious leader discovers that a congregant is without food, without gas money to get to work or school, without money to buy medicine, at risk of eviction, or received a shut-off notice from a utility company — that leader’s first reaction should be to “care for the flock of God” and meet that person’s need by reaching in his own pocket (if he has the money), raising an offering, cutting a check from the church, or seeking assistance from other non-profit organizations (if the church does not have the funds).
Telling people to “keep tithing and just trust God” is pseudo-spiritual advice that allows the leader to seem “spiritual” while not lifting a finger to ease the burdens of others. This was one of Jesus’ problems with the Pharisees.
“They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.” (Matthew 23:4)
If a religious leader is able to help a struggling saint, yet he just tells them to “keep tithing and have faith in God to provide” — he is no different than the person in James 2:14-17 who sees a brother or sister in need and says “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well” and doesn’t help them. What good will pseudo-spiritual words do? Faith without good works is dead. It’s not good enough to talk about faith if we don’t show it with our actions.
“If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” (1 John 3:17-18)
“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:41-46)
2. Telling people to ‘tithe’ before they pay their bills ignores the Scriptural teaching to take care of home (the family unit) first. Giving money to an institution before one’s own household is not an example of “putting God first”, but an example of misplaced priorities.
Ensuring that the mortgage or rent for a church-building is paid before you pay your own rent is out of order. If you get evicted, can you sleep in the church building? Will your pastor take you in? Or will you end up in a homeless shelter or sleeping on someone’s couch while your pastor tells you to “keep tithing and trust God to provide”?
Ensuring that the utilities stay on at a church-building before you pay your own utilities is out of order. Paying the utilities for a building that no one lives in and not paying the utilities where you and your family lives is negligent.
Before religious organizations existed, God created the family unit. Your personal well-being and the well-being of your family are foremost concerns to God. In the eyes of God, the expenses of a religious organization do not come before the needs of your household.
God would never have you risk an eviction, shut-off notice, or sink further into debt all for the sake of keeping a false tradition and covering the expenses of a 501 c3 organization.
Does it make any sense to pay staff salaries while your fridge is empty, your gas tank is on empty, and the overdue balances on your utilities are soaring through the roof? Is this responsible financial stewardship? Or the result of false teaching and leaders making merchandise of saints?
Paul the apostle wrote that a man is worse than an unbeliever if he doesn’t take care of his own home. This is not exclusive to men or the male gender, but any Christian — male or female. If you are a woman and you neglect your own household while sending money to a church, it is no different than a man who skips on his child support so that he can give 10% of his check to a church or preacher. Even unbelievers know that the responsible thing to do is take care of their own homes before they donate money elsewhere. So a Believer who does not take care of their own home is worse than an unbeliever.
God’s order is to take care of the family unit/household first, before outside commitments. Even during the Old Covenant, the needs of the temple did not come before the needs of human beings. When David and his men were hungry they ate the shewbread, which was not lawful. Yet God permitted it because He values people over religious ritual. Leaders who put “tithing” before your needs are putting rituals before people.
3. Telling people to keep “tithing and just trust God” sets a poor example of unChristlike leadership. Jesus said that the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve others and give His life as a ransom for many. Jesus did not put His needs before people who were in need. He selflessly put the needs of others before Himself. Elders are suppose to follow in Jesus’ footsteps and set the same example for God’s flock.
Yet leaders who tell struggling saints to give (to their institutions) are putting themselves before those who are truly in need. Many of these organizations are not broke or in poverty. Yet they feel comfortable telling single parents, widows, college students, and poor families to “keep tithing and just trust God” and forgo paying their bills. This is selfish and the exact opposite of putting the needs of others before themselves.
4. Telling people to keep “tithing and just trust God” oppresses the poor.
While some Christians testify that they “tithed” before paying their bills and their needs were still met, many many others testify that they “tithed” before paying their bills only to sink deeper into debt, get evicted, lose their home, lose their car, and go without electricity, heating, air conditioning, running water, etc. These are normally the saints who aren’t given the microphone during testimony time to encourage others to “tithe before paying your bills and trust God to provide!” This oppression of the poor is the dark side of monetary ‘tithing’ that many people don’t hear about.
Even during the Old Covenant, the purpose of the tithe was not to oppress the poor and put them in the predicament of either “tithing” or paying their bills. One of the main purposes of the tithe was to feed the poor and RELIEVE them of their burdens. One of the reasons why God told the Levitical priests that they were “cursed with a curse” was because they oppressed the poor, the fatherless and the widows. The Lord said that He would draw near to such leaders for judgment and to be a swift witness against them (Malachi 3:5). This is the part of Malachi that many religious leaders skip over during tithes and offering time.
“‘Thus says the Lord God, “Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat sheep without feeding the flock.” (Ezekiel 34:2-3)
5. Telling people to keep “tithing and just trust God” sends a poor witness to unbelievers.
The Bible says to owe no man, except to love him. If we have the resources to pay our bills and pay off our debts, we should do so. Sending 10% of your income to a religious organization and not paying your bills and paying off your debts sends a message that Christians are financially irresponsible and do not keep our agreements.
A part of integrity is keeping our financial agreements by paying our bills and debts if/when we have the resources. The Bible speaks against not paying people when its in our means to do so.
I am not saying that being in debt is sinful. I understand that life often gives us lemons and unexpected bills and expenses will come by surprise. But it is irresponsible to incur debts, high utility bills, sink deeper into debt, and risk eviction when you have the resources to pay them off.
Some Christians will “tithe” and “decree and declare” financial prosperity and supernatural debt cancellation, rather than putting 10% of their income towards paying off their debt and paying their bills. It’s different if you don’t have the means to do so. But some have given dozens of thousands (or more) in monetary ‘tithes’ to organizations, instead of paying off their debt. This makes no sense whatsoever. Monetary ‘tithing’ and positive confession are no substitute for good old fashioned financial responsibility.
Rather than telling struggling saints to “keep tithing and trust God to provide” — religious leaders should tell poor congregants to “keep their money” and trust God to provide for their organizations. If God truly called them to minister and start a church, He will sustain it HIS WAY (according to Scripture) without oppressing the poor.
If you are struggling financially, and you attend a church where the leaders are more concerned about receiving your “tithe” than you paying your bills, that may be a sign that it’s time for you to find a new fellowship.
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