Training Wheels For Generosity

In one of my previous blogs, "The Tithe Trap," I talked about how it was not the act of giving nor the amount of giving, but the heart of giving that mattered to the Lord. Many nonbelievers give more than most Christians, but their act of giving nor their amount of giving carry any weight with our Lord. The same applies to Christians who give for the wrong reasons and not solely for the glory of God.

Have you ever asked the question, "why is the given level of giving, in the Scripture, 1/10"? It couldn't have been arbitrary because God's word does not do arbitrarily. I will admit that I do not have a profound theological answer for this question, but I have a real-life observation that I feel led to mention. It seems that 10%, regardless of income level, is just the right amount to pinch a little. For most of us, to give at that level usually means that we have to step back from our current lifestyle and sacrifice something. Maybe we won't be able to eat out is often, perhaps we have to wait a little longer before we can make a major purchase, maybe we have to scale back on our vacation, in short for most of us, that 1/10 creates a situation where giving at that level will cost us something. It becomes the sacrificial giving that God expects of us.

Mark 12:41 And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."

I remember quite vividly during one economic downturn when corporations asked all their employees to take a 10% cut in pay or be laid off. Everyone took the 10% cut. I noticed that, amongst my clients, no one went hungry, lost their home, or declared bankruptcy despite this pay cut. Yes, they had to make adjustments, but they did it and still, relative to the rest of the world, they were living very comfortably. It also has to be noted the 10% came off the top of their income; it never entered into their cash flow. The scripture says that giving should be "off the top"- our first fruits. Why is it that we can forgo 10% of our income when the world demands it of us and not when the Lord requires it of us?

The other thing that I noticed in my own life is that once I let go and started tithing, it was much easier for me to expand my giving and be much more generous. It was as if a barrier in my heart had been broken through and an incredibly freeing experience. This is why I now look at the tithe, not as the ceiling on my generosity but as the base. It is as if the tithe acts as "training wheels" for greater levels of generosity that bring glory to God and freedom to me.