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Tithing
Questions
Why
Tithe?
How Do
I Tithe?
How Much
Is Enough?
Can My
Tithe Be In The Form Of Service?
Can I Direct
How My Tithe Is Being Used?
What Is
the Difference Between Pledge, Donation, and Tithe?
Why
Tithe?
When
we tithe a portion of our income to God, we find
that, far from depriving ourselves, we are blessed
by the Source of all abundance: God. All real security
comes from Him. Until we understand and accept this
truth, our path through life remains uncertain.
The
great saints know that God is in everything. Behind the
myriad forms and guises of this world, they see God
as an unchanging Spirit, manifesting Itself as the infinite
drama of life. Their joy lies in serving
as channels for God’s will. Paramhansa
Yogananda said, “Making money honestly and industriously
to serve Thy work is the next greatest art after the art
of realizing Thee.” Tithing spiritualizes our attitude
toward money, and makes it possible for God to use us
as channels for His work.
How
Do I Tithe?
As
we mentioned above, tithing is giving 10%, or some set
percentage of our income, on a regular basis. This is
an agreement we make privately in our own hearts with
God.
Some
people prefer to give their tithe, whether cash or
a check, as soon as they receive any money. This could
mean giving several tithes each month. Others prefer
to give their tithe once every month. Once we ’ve
decided on a certain approach, the important thing is to
stick with it through “thick
and thin.” This will give
God a chance to enter through the new doorway we ’ve
opened to Him.
The
most important aspect of tithe is for it to remain
a conscious act of devotional self-offering to God. It
should not take on the status of yet another bill you have
to pay.
How
Much Is Enough?
Is
it necessary to
tithe ten percent? Ten percent is the traditional amount.
In fact, it is the root meaning of the word “tithe.” However,
there is no "right" or "wrong" percentage or amount to
give. Some people tithe considerably more
than ten percent. Still others maintain that our tithe
should be right at the edge of comfort, so that we ’re
particularly alert for God’s
response.
However,
if we tithe far beyond our own experience of God’s
response, it can become presumptuous. Thus, for some
tithing may mean 1%, while for legendary tithers like
J.R. LeTourneau, the construction equipment manufacturer,
it is 90%!
If
you are new to tithing, start with a percentage that
fills you with joy, and keeps you conscious of God as
the true source of your well-being. If we choose a percentage
that is too low, the act becomes so effortless that it
slips from our consciousness. This kind of tithing doesn't
require us to raise our energy, which is necessary in
order to draw God’s
response.
Can
My Tithe Be In The Form Of Service?
No,
not truly. Service helps to spiritualize our attitude
toward work, whereas tithing helps to spiritualize our
attitude toward money. It would be akin to hoping that
exercising hard on the right side of your body will
strengthen the left side as well.
Tithing,
like service, is an opportunity to give. They
are, however, different from each other. Often, it is
harder for people to tithe than to serve. We have to
"give up" our hard-earned
money (at
least that's how we think of it), and too often,
the desire to give service instead is a rationalization
against what seems to be a larger
sacrifice.
But
the truth is, the more we give freely for ourselves,
the more joy we experience! Thus, "the larger sacrifice” becomes
the ever expanding source of joy.
Can
I Direct How My Tithe Is Being Used?
The
tithe is God’s and so it is God’s
to use. When we tithe, we should relinquish any thought
of it belonging to us. Tithing is an act of faith and
includes the faith that those who handle the tithes will
use them as God wishes.
What
Is the Difference Between Pledge, Donation, and Tithe?
A
pledge is a set amount given
usually for some specific purpose. For example, we might
pledge $25 a month for three years to help cover a loan,
or fund a special project.
A
donation is usually a one-time gift, perhaps
for something we feel deeply inspired to support.
Although
the word “donation” is
often used to describe any kind of financial giving, tithing
is qualitatively different from donations and pledges. Tithing
is a personal spiritual discipline, not a fundraising
technique. Consider tithing as a foundation of your giving practice.
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