Good News! God Does Not Want Your Money!

For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. (Hosea 6:6)

Now the “but” (not bad news): Each of us deeply needs to give to God generously of our money, our other treasures, our time, and our abilities. The basis behind the Biblical standard of the tithe is not about God’s need for 10 percent of everything that comes to us. The tithe reflects our need to remember from whom everything that we have comes, and our need to claim the gift of living in thanksgiving.

God knows the heart of humanity as no human can. He created us. He gave us the freedom to chose to love Him, which also gives us the freedom to chose not to or to love Him within limits. God has seen the actions of humankind throughout its entire existence. He is in each of us. He knows our every thought.

God also needs nothing from us beyond our unfettered love; love that is reflective of how abundantly and without limit He loves us. Anything else that God wants or needs, He can create.

God’s church does need money and labor to thrive in spreading the Gospel. And God can create those things. He doesn’t need us to create them. But, that’s missing the point. He already has created them. But He blesses us with the treasure and the time, and the abilities to use to His glory. He gives it all to us. We are to first pass along a tithe of those gifts from God, and then use the rest well in providing for our needs.

God graces us with all that we need plus enough to generously support the spread of His Gospel. And he also blesses us with the opportunity to demonstrate our faith and our love for Him by tithing right off the top. We are invited, not required, to perform a profound act of love by trusting in God’s provision.

For many of us, it is not easy to get to the point of tithing when what we see is lots of bills and not much money. That is why the decision matters so much. God knows it is not easy. It is the hard decisions that say loudest “I believe, I trust.” Those are words that speak of unlimited love for our Lord. There is no doubting evident in the act of tithing. While we are the givers, we receive back manifold as our hearts are converted to a richer relationship with God our creator and Jesus Christ, our savior.