Doesn't the concept of tithing rob people of the joy of giving?

The law of tithing is why everyone gets edgy when the subject of tithing is brought up, because the giving that is taught to believers is a giving out of obligation and guilt and not one of freedom and joy.

The kinds of giving you refer to in 2 Corinthians 8 and Acts 2 and 4 are perfect examples of what I am talking about. That kind of giving came from an overflow of joy and not from the apostles "harping" on getting their giving up to at least 10%. The concept of tithing robs everyone who gives less than it from any sense of joy from their giving because they have been made to feel guilty because it is too little. This guilt will seldom, if ever, produce a joyful giver.

What about a young couple who is only able to give 5%, but for whom this is giving by faith? Wouldn't God be pleased with that gift, and wouldn't they be blessed even though it falls well below the Old Testament requirement?


Answered by Randy Alcorn


But if only 3% of Christians give 10% or more, clearly waiting for people to overflow with joy is not working any better than the "tithing-just do it" message is working, especially because so many of those who give way more than 10% started at 10%. That's where I started. I didn't know where else to start. Why wouldn't I start there? Acts 2-type giving came into my life after I tasted the joy of giving, but had I been told "giving is completely optional, no need to stretch yourself, start anywhere you want," I wonder how far I would ever have gone in giving.

I believe that nearly any young couple in this country could give 10%, and if they did, they would experience joy and see God do great things. But to say that God is happy with His people (who He went to the cross for, and who He put in the most affluent society in human history) giving 40% of what He required of people without the indwelling Messiah, living in poverty, is something I find it difficult to imagine, both biblically and logically. There are innumerable younger and older people in our churches who could give away 10% simply by forgoing Starbucks, Hollywood Video and eating out - not to mention new cars, home entertainment centers, etc. In other words, we're not even talking sacrifice. To suggest that starting at 5% "or whatever you choose" is not really being helpful to those people. Would I rather that they give 5% than nothing or 2%? Of course. But I just don't see the removal of the tithe as the training wheels of giving being any real solution to getting people up on the bicycle.

I also believe that to think of most churches being full of legalistic tithers is out of touch with reality. A Barna poll in 2002 found that only 3% of Christians tithe. If we found that only 3% of Christians observe a day of rest, would we conclude our churches are full of legalistic sabbath-keepers? I wouldn't.

We share the belief that most people should give far more than 10%. The question is whether we should encourage people to move from nothing and 1, 2 or 3% to 10%, where God started his nation Israel, as a stepping stone to the truly generous giving to be found beyond 10%. That is where we appear to disagree.

What I say to people is, if you're uncomfortable starting at 10% because it is legalistic, that's fine, start at 11 or 12% or 20, 40 or 60%. But if you're going to start at less than 10%, then just realize you're elevating the law over grace by saying that the law produced greater fruit in a poor culture than the transforming work of the Holy Spirit does in an affluent culture. Personally, I just can't buy that.

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