Tithing when you are in debt - Page 3

[Thalia]

I find the advice in this article to be very helpful in sorting through the tithing-in-debt issues. The author suggests that those in debt could "start with a smaller amount than 10 percent and remain faithful to that commitment, increasing it as God provides. Or, until they have relieved themselves of some of their encumbering debt, they could provide some sort of volunteer service to the church or to people in need within the body of Christ.

I will also add that since we've been tithing, God has always provided for all of our needs and more. That verse from Malachi about God opening the windows of heaven and pouring out a blessing until it overflows has been very true for us.

[grniys]

Originally Posted by Thalia

I find the advice in this article to be very helpful in sorting through the tithing-in-debt issues. The author suggests that those in debt could "start with a smaller amount than 10 percent and remain faithful to that commitment, increasing it as God provides. Or, until they have relieved themselves of some of their encumbering debt, they could provide some sort of volunteer service to the church or to people in need within the body of Christ.

I will also add that since we've been tithing, God has always provided for all of our needs and more. That verse from Malachi about God opening the windows of heaven and pouring out a blessing until it overflows has been very true for us.

Thank you so much for sharing that link. I find the article to be very informative and it gives me a lot to think about. I have a lot of respect for Crown Financial Ministries and certainly consider them a credible source of advice.

Oh, and to the OP, something I've recently decided to do to help serve in my church even though I have a toddler and another on the way is to help with the food ministry. Many churches have a meals program where volunteers bless church members who have been ill or have a death in the family or have a new baby with meals. My church also makes meals for a soup kitchen on Sunday's. Those are some pretty simple ways to volunteer that aren't too time consuming. Just throwing out suggestions.

[eccomama]

Originally Posted by jeca

I think in hard times you should give what you can. It may not be 10% but something is better than nothing.

i totally agree with this. feeding my daughter, keeping a roof over our head and clothing ourselves comes first. i dont think the Lord would object to that. plus i volunteer when i cant donate so i see it as a wash and a valuable lesson to dd.

[2bluefish]

After having watched my parents and their peers give 10% to a Baptist church all the years I was growing up only to be run out of the building they paid to build when new leadership took over - I strongly question that giving 10% in the collection plate is "giving to God".

Another thing to consider is that the Bible is clear that we need to keep our vows (or not make them) - if you took out debt with the promise to pay it back, then you need to keep your promise.

[vegmom]

Originally Posted by cristina47454

How does this work? DH and I have almost $75,000 in credit card debt, we have little to no savings and he is currently out of work. When he was consulting this summer, he was making pretty good money and felt that he should be tithing 10% of his paycheck. We've been in the hole for so long that i feel like we should pay our bills and be working on a savings plan before we start tithing. We come from different religious backgrounds ( I was brought up loosely Catholic, he was brought up Southern Baptist), and that is part of the "problem". We aren't on the same page. He says that when you don't have anything, that's the most important time to give...I think that might even be scriptural to a certain degree. But it makes me hyperventilate!! Help!

I have not read the whole thread but i just needed to jump in. You should not be tithing.

It is scriptual that the word of God is to be free.

Matt 10:7 "and as you go preach, saying, "the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'
8 "heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

This scripture is about Jesus sending out the apostles to spread the word of God to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Bless you and may you be completed in the Lord.

[Delight]

This is quite a charged topic, and one that you will probably never have a perfect answer for. We tithe, despite not making much money and having payments that need to be made...and we do so with the goal of "giving sacrificially". Giving sacrificially can mean different things to different people...like the story in the Bible when the widow gave a penny because that is all she had left to give.

It won't EVER make "sense" in our human minds...but I can tell you from experience that the only time we have ever been TRULY blessed financially...above and beyond what we could have imagined...has been when we were tithing consistently.

It will help for you and your spouse to go through a financial course together...I would highly recommend Dave Ramsey (I haven't read through the thread, but I would imagine it's been mentioned). It will change your life!

Good luck...

[Happily Blessed]

I did not take time to read everyone's responses. Soon, I will.... maybe

First thing about tithing. God doesn't need your money. He's the orginal billionaire .

If you look at it this way, the money, your possessions, everything, was given to you from God. They are His anyways. This is because He has given you your talents and education and wisdom for your career (or your husband's.) So when you give back the first fruits of your tithe, you are showing honor and gratitude for the gifts He has given you so that you can continue earning the money to keep going. Does that make sense?

This is the only area in which God says you can "test Him." and trust me, we have had to do this before. We have been tithing faithfully for years now. Even when we are broke. Unfortunately there have been times that we did not write the tithe check first and spent everything we had so we could not tithe.

But there have been times, I can count twice, when I have said "okay God, I need X amount of money, I have tithed, I have not spent unnecessirily, and now I need some help." And that same day I had the same amount necessary.

One story is the miracle of my son. My Mother had given us the money to get the recurrent pregnancy loss testing done and we wound up having to have my dog taken to the emergency room within a few days of each other. The bill for the ER was $180 which I had to take from several accounts to be able to pay. I was overcharged from the RPL lab exactly $180 and was able to get that money back. So we "broke even."

My suggestion is pray about tithing. Read the chapter about tithing.

HTH