Question from a reader:

I have a question for Randy as I greatly respect his understanding of biblical stewardship. We are getting ready to sell our home and purchase another, and I wanted to know what his take is on tithing on the increase in value even though we are going to put it toward our new home? His book Money, Possessions, and Eternity has been a great resource for me over the years.

Answer from Heidi McLaughlin, EPM staff:

I know that first off, Randy would commend you for even considering the idea of tithing on the increased value of your home. I really don’t think most people think of that. 

While Randy hasn’t addressed this question specifically in his writing, in this article, he writes, “I would tithe on gifts and scholarships because they are true income, something God has provided for us to live and accomplish our goals with.” So a similar principle could be applied.

Randy has been on Rob West’s podcast and trusts his wisdom on giving. Rob was asked a similar question to yours and his response was:

You can't out-give God, and it's ultimately between you and the Lord. With that said, I believe the principle of the tithe is based on your increase. The questions is, ‘what is your increase when it comes to your home sale?’ Your increase for a home sale would be similar to the way you would calculate capital gains. Your increase (or gain) is the selling price (sale price minus transaction costs) minus your cost basis (purchase price plus transaction costs plus improvements that stayed with the property and improved value). Does that help?

We encourage you to pray about this decision with your family and follow God’s prompting.