But the Bible has been pretty clear what it thinks about money. In 1 Timothy 6:10, scripture tells us:
10For the love of money is a root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have been led astray and have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves through with many [a]acute [mental] pangs.
Some people get this scripture confused and think money itself is evil, but the key words there are "the love of money" - i.e. greed.
The Bible also says that you cannot serve two gods; both God and Money. If you put your money ahead of God, that's exactly what you're doing.
Most people, especially those who subscribe to ChristianityTM, refuse to believe that is what they do when they cling to their personal wealth or their own money with an iron fist.
If you really believe in what the Bible says then you know it's not yours to begin with, and therefore you can easier let it go. (And pay your taxes... but that's another blog...)
I found this particular picture especially ironic, given the true nature of tithing, which very few ChristiansTM seem to (want to) understand.
It boils down to this. Of your wealth you give 10% back to God. It's not because he is impoverished and needs your money, it's an act of worship to honor God and be thankful for what you have been given.
Plus it's not really yours, anyway. Everything you have comes from him, so therefore tithing is just giving a bit of his money back as an act of reverent obedience.
So a tithe is your duty, if you will. And there are consequences if you do not fulfill it.
In fact, Mal 3:7-12 says that denying this duty is tantamount to stealing from God.
Now, even though modern Christians typically forsake this particular duty - which makes that picture up there especially amusing, tithing is actually not the end of what you need to give of your income.
In addition to the tithe, you are called upon to give "tithes AND OFFERINGS."
"10% is enough for God."
Uh, no it's not.
Consider when Jesus was confronted by the rich young ruler who asked him what he must do beyond keeping the commandments to truly follow Christ. Jesus told him to (and I quote) "Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
The key word there, I believe, is "all".
In fact, Jesus kinda sounds like Robin Hood here. He doesn't just want the guy to give away *all* his wealth. He wants him to give it (wait for it) TO THE POOR.
Oh that Jesus. Such a crazy Socialist.
In fact, Jesus actually chastised those who gave a small portion of their wealth in the story of the poor widow. (And I quote again) "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. 44 For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on."
I'm not making this stuff up, kids. The Bible's full of this kind of thing, IF, that is... you're looking for it.
"So God wants me to be poor, I guess?"
Uh, no.
The idea behind tithes and offerings is so that you are blessed for being faithful. It is showing that you recognize the true gift of your favor and are not just willing, but cheerful to give in return.
And guess what? It comes with a promise. If you are obedient, you are blessed. If you are generous, you are blessed.
You're not just blessed a little. You're blessed a LOT... depending of course how much you decide to give.
Luke 6:38:
38 Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.[a]”
Remember the rich young ruler who was instructed to give up everything he had so he could follow Christ? He couldn't bear to part with his wealth, and so he missed out on Jesus all together.
BUT, he also missed out on this little promise a few scriptures down:
Matthew 19:
29 And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.[k]
So there's no downside to generosity. Money and wealth is not evil. God even wants to give you more of it. You just have to love him more than you love it.
Matthew 6:24
24"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
Remember that the next time you head to the polls and you're being manipulated by your religious leaders to hold on to your wealth and forsake the poor, the needy, the sick and the imprisoned.
Don't be a ChristianTM. Don't try to skate into Heaven on someone else's sacrifice.
James 2
14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? 15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?
17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”
19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God.[f] Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. 20 How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?
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