Sep 23, 2025
3 min read
When money feels tight, the idea of giving away ten percent of it is daunting. Maybe you’re living paycheck to paycheck, wondering how you’ll make ends meet. Why would God ask us to tithe—to give ten percent of our income to the church—when we don’t have much to begin with?
The truth is, tithing is not about how much you have, but about who has your heart. And what’s sacrificial to one might not be sacrificial to another.
In Malachi 3:10, God says: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse… test me in this, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”
Tithing invites us to trust God with our finances. It’s a way of saying, “Lord, I believe You are my provider, not my paycheck.” Even if the numbers on paper don’t make sense, God promises to meet our needs when we put Him first. This doesn’t mean you’ll be rich tomorrow because you tithed today. This means that God will be faithful to provide everything that you need.
Jesus taught in Matthew 6:21: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Money has a way of gripping our hearts. When we tithe, we loosen that grip and remind ourselves that everything we have belongs to God anyway. Tithing keeps our hearts aligned with His and frees us from fear or greed.
Every gift makes a difference. Even if you feel that your contribution is small, when combined with others, it fuels the church’s ministry in leading people to live Christ-centered lives. The widow who gave just two coins in Mark 12 was praised by Jesus because she gave faithfully from what little she had. Your faithfulness matters just as much.
At the end of the day, tithing is less about the size of your income and more about the posture of your heart. God doesn’t ask us to give when it’s easy—He calls us to trust Him even when it feels costly. The question is NOT: “Can I afford to tithe?” But instead: “Can I afford not to trust God with what already belongs to Him?” Your obedience matters, and your faithfulness has an impact far beyond what you can see. When you put God first, you’ll discover that He is always faithful to provide.
