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The Biblical View of Giving

Many Christians, if not most, believe that giving is defined by “tithing.” In essence this is the belief that you tip God 10 percent and then do with the remainder whatever you want.

But the New Testament never talks about the tithe. Rather, as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9, giving is about the heart, not about a percentage. He says in 2 Corinthians 9:7:

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Giving directly reflects the state of the heart, which is why Paul felt the need to confront the Corinthian church about giving. The Corinthians were a very wealthy group of people, but they struggled to fulfill their pledge to Paul – and the he was very direct with them about that.

In 2 Corinthians 8, Paul is forced to boldly confront the Corinthians for not fulfilling the promise they had made to support the suffering church in Jerusalem. Paul was so blunt because the Corinthians needed to understand that giving was a clear indication of whether God had their heart and their genuine devotion.

Do not miss this powerful principle:

Our stewardship of the resources God has put into our trust is a direct reflection of whether or not we have truly given ourselves to God.

As followers of Christ, we should have a sense of urgency to see God’s kingdom resourced so that the battle for the souls of men, women, and children in our community, nation, and world can be advanced for God’s glory. We do this by understanding the basic premises that…

• All we have is God’s, not just 10%.
• God has entrusted us with those resources to advance His kingdom, not to use them only for personal gain and security.
• God wants our whole-hearted devotion, yet we cannot become that kind of follower of Christ if we fail to invest our treasure in His work.

God does not need your money. He wants your heart!