Is it wrong to tithe out of fear?

Question

I just barely make enough $ to get by month to month. and i pray all the time for the Lord to help me with my finances and give me wisdom, But i still find myself often feel paniced and i sometimes tithe in hopes that things wont get worse.
Is that wrong?

Answer 1

I would say, it's unusual, but not wrong.

Just remember: "Fear of God is the beginning of all wisdom."

Answer 2

Your motive is wrong. Worse yet you are not even tithing out of duty, but in hopes to bribe God. Do you think God is so hard up for cash that he would pick your pocket? More to the point how much cash does it take to please God?

God never preforms like a circus performer or magician. Both God and Jesus did great signs and wonder when it served a greater purpose.

In the Bible two people gave money with the wrong motive and they died for it. I do not mean you will die for your actions, just letting you know the extremes and the range is wide open.

If you wish wisdom I will give you what I have. Tithe was originally given to the Jews to take care of the Levies who were in the service of the Lord and the people. Bible says in 2 Corinthians 9:7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

We all feel panicked from time to time with money concerns or other such things. This is the time to trust in God. God will bless you, but it may not be monetary or even visible to you. I know there will be those that say this is the "Fundie" out, but as Freud said "some times a dream is just a dream."

Final word. If you cannot give cheerfully do not give at all. This goes for all aspects of your life. Too many people are out there doing the Lord's work with less than a cheerful attitude and nobody's fooled and even fewer are saved by it.

Answer 3

It's not wrong, it's probably not the feeling God would want you to have when you pay your tithe.

In my family we have the same issue. Yet, every other week when we are paid we take our 10 percent of our earnings and turn it into the bishopric of our church.

We've been doing it for over a year now, always paying 10 percent...it's become a habit. At first it was tough, but we stuck through it and now it's easier. We have been able to readjust our expenses around it.

We think that everything we have is because God has blessed us. Nothing on this Earth is ours, our bodies, our energy, our jobs...we thank God by being obedient to the law of tithing.

It will get easier with time. But I think it's better to be obedient and do what the Lord asks of you than not doing anything at all. That fear will go away eventually. God will bless you for being obedient.

God asks exactly for 10 percent only...no more and no less. 10 percent is really not a lot of money. I don't know what your religion is, but in my faith, it's a big commandment that we must fulfill this commandment.

You can test the Lord on this when you pay your tithes that he bless you. The following source has God daring you to prove him. Next time, pray to him for this experience, pray to him for a specific blessing that you need as a reward for being a faithful tithe payer. The Lord does reward his faithful servants.

Answer 4

You will find some help in 2 Cor 9:6-15. For new testament Christians it is not about grudgingly or fearfully handing over 10%. It is about giving what you can afford freely and cheerfully, but not what you have left over. The first and the best of your money, your time, your talent. Once you have done that, you can place your faith in the many times throughout scripture that God promises to meet your needs if you honor Him with the money, time, and talent He has given you.

In your particular situation I suggest you make a budget that includes a specific amount that you can afford to give every time you are paid. Not 10% if you cannot afford it. It may not even be 1% if things are really tight. The important thing is that you honor God with what you have, recognizing that it comes from Him. There is also a passage in the gospels where a woman gave a very small amount, far less than 10% but Jesus told his disciples that her offering was worth more than any of the gold that the wealthy gave to the temple because the small amount she gave was a huge amount of what she had. Both the old and new testaments say that if you cannot afford to give 10%, you should not.

Answer 5

Well:

One - you shouldn't be giving just because you feel that you have to.

Two - you actually don't have to tithe to the church. There is a lot of pressure now-a-days to give to the church and to make it your responsibility to give a certain amount. Every month. I even know of churches that send out 'late bills' to people who didn't give what the church thought they should be giving. (Yes, the church tracks both your income and weekly giving, scary huh?)

Three - Don't buy into the mind set that only those who give to the church will reap the full blessings of God. That breaks my heart. It is no where in the bible. But there are Christians out there who believe that not giving for whatever reason means that the full blessings and gifts of God are being withheld from them.That is a bunch of crap.

Four - pray and lead the life that you are supposed to lead as a Christian. Don't tithe because you are hoping to make your life better.

Instead, put your trust and faith in God. Everything will happen as it should.

Answer 6

You are wrong when you say the Bible says to pay 10% of your earnings as tithes. 1. Only Israel via a covenant with God were required to give tithes; you were not a party to that covenant, and that covenant ended. 2. Tithes were a tenth of the increase of produce and/or livestock only. No one in Scripture was ever commanded to tithe of their earnings (wages). Those are the facts. However, you are free to believe whatever lies and deceptions you want. .

Answer 7

You know our Father IS a wonderful, merciful, and understanding God......he knows everything about you. It is important to pay your tithes don't do it with fear of everything falling to pieces, do it because you love God and want to obey him. If you read the bible you will find soooo many scriptures of how the Lord protects and provides for us. And to top it off....it is allllll true! I am a witness to that! God wants to see our faithfulness and sacrafices......God also wants us to be wise with our money too! If I can share all of my wonderful experiences with you......wooohooo! It is awesome how the Lord works in our lives. Below are some scriptures you can read about how he provides.......HAVE FAITH!!!!Take Care!

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Matthew 6:25 (King James Version)
King James Version (KJV)
Public Domain

25Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Answer 8

That depends. If you're Christian, yes, that's wrong. Nothing in the New Testament says anything about the amount you have to tithe. A good rule of thumb is to tithe an amount that you can 'feel', but not so much that you live in poverty.

Answer 9

I don't think it's ever WRONG to keep the commandment of tithing. Of course it's BETTER to do it out of joy and all that - but on this particular issue you are doing just what the Lord asked us to do in Malachi 3:

"10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. "

For tithing, God asks us to put him to the test, to see if he won't give us those promised blessings. Sounds like you're doing just that - give yourself the time to let the test work out, eventually, you will know whole heartedly that the Lord's promise for blessings is kept, and you will naturally do it out of joy. Just let yourself naturally get to that point by doing what you're doing.

best wishes

Answer 10

You tithe because you want to tithe and you tithe what you want to tithe. The 10% tithing was to the Jew, but we Christians use it as guidance. You can tithe 15% if you want.

Don't put yourself in unnecessary bondage about this.

I tithe because its God's money and I want to bless somebody because I've been blessed. It is not the amount but the act of giving that is important. Jesus said to remember the poor, those who hunger, etc.

Answer 11

God want us to give with a free heart. Not grudgingly. I know what you mean, but I will always take off the top 10%, and God has blessed me so much. There are times when I didn't have much money at all, but I will give what I have. Faith is important. Look at it this way. Everything we have God has given it to us. It is His any ways. He is just trusting us with it, and asking us to give back to Him and trust Him. I get panicky a lot, but I know I am doing the right thing.
Reach 2 Corn. 9: all of it. God didn't make the bills we did. I hope this helps you out. God bless you.