Giving our tithes and offerings reflects a grateful heart that wants to give back to God a portion of what He has given us; in reality, what is already His. This is our opportunity to show God that He is first in our lives. The Bible says The purpose of tithing is to teach you always to put God first in your lives (Deuteronomy 14:23 TLB). Tithing is a reminder that God is the supplier of everything we have. It is also God’s personal invitation to an outpouring of his blessing in your life.
Four Reasons to give back to God
Giving is a Reflection of the Heart
What’s the most important thing to you? We see how our culture encourages us to store up treasures on earth and exalts materialism to the point where debt has become acceptable. We can probably even recognize that truth by looking at our own checkbooks. As Christ-followers, however, we are called to free ourselves from debt bondage so that our resources are available for His purposes.
Matthew 6:20-21 “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also...” (CSB)
Giving is a Reflection of Priorities
Before tithing was a practice of the Israelites, Cain, and Abel, the 2nd generation of humanity, brought an offering to the Lord. Abel brought the “firstborn of his flock,” Cain gave “some of the fruits of the soil.” The Lord blessed Abel’s offering but not Cain’s. God wants to be first in our lives.
Deuteronomy 26:1-2 “When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you take possession of it and live in it, 2 take some of the first of all the land’s produce that you harvest from the land the Lord your God is giving you and put it in a basket. Then go to the place where the Lord your God chooses to have his name dwell.” (CSB)
Giving is a Privilege
The 1st Century church modeled for us what it means to give generously and joyfully so that more and more people could find their way back to God.
2 Corinthians 8:2-4 “During a severe trial brought about by affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 I can testify that, according to their ability and even beyond their ability, of their own accord, 4 they begged us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in the ministry to the saints,” (CSB)
Giving is a Blessing
God uses the tithe as an investment where everyone involved gets a return. If we are blessed beyond our needs, it is not to live more lavishly but to bless others. The church and the kingdom are blessed, yet God’s nature also blesses the giver.
Malachi 3:10 “‘Bring the full tenth into the storehouse so that there may be food in my house. Test me in this way,” says the Lord of Armies. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure.’” (CSB)