<p>I didn’t read all the posts–just the OP</p>
<p>Pray about it–and I think you will find that staying faithful to the tithe and knowing you get to be a steward of 90%, you will be at peace because HE will make a way.</p>
<p>I could quote you the scripture and blessings of how the tithe is part of the way HE keeps your heart open and trusting HIM.</p>
<p>Stay the course. </p>
<p>fogfog+</p>
<p>My husband and I have prayed on this, and we feel like the entire act of the tithe is a faith act. We believe that God is the source of our supply and we are going to trust on this one. We may need to divide our tithe up differently than in the past…like not in nice neat weekly amounts…more up and down with bonuses, but we’ll just keep finding more places to cut. I went through the budget last week and found some holes. I genuinely appreciate everyone’s viewpoint.</p>
<p>wife and i never liked working with middlemen in our business and have applied the same approach when it comes to religiton. always figured the tithe belongs to god and if he thinks we need it more than s/he does, it won’t be accepted. so every week we put our tithe on a little plate, out in the backyard near the bird feeder. next day, if the money is still there we take it inside and try again the next week. that way we know our entire offering always goes for god’s work. works for us.</p>
<p>The story of Ananias and Sapphira comes to mind…The Bible says that tithing is the only way by which we should test God…</p>
<p>This is a financial question, not a God question. Do the math, and you’ll have your answer. It sounds like from your original post you already have it figured out, so without your tax returns, it’s difficult to provide more insight than you yourself already have.</p>
<p>heyalb, the OP obviously thinks that tithing is not SIMPLY a financial matter. Tithing is a big part of Christianity and the OP is seeking advice within that context…IMO, you shouldn’t be able to tell her whether or not this issue is “financial” or God-related. Like you said, it’s HER private matter and SHE deemed it a religious as well as a financial matter. As for her asking advice online, that’s her decision too. </p>
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<p>If “financial questions” and “God questions” were so easily separable, there would be no religious debates/politics, etc</p>
<p>EDIT: seems like heyalb edited/softened out her post.</p>
<p>Sheesh…there’s nothing quite as perplexing as somebody opening up their most personal, private thoughts on the internet in seeking advice, and then some self-appointed referee steps in and chastises said advice to suit his/her own beliefs. </p>
<p>EDIT: seems like powerbomb edited/softened out his/her post.</p>
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<p>Tithing is hardly someone’s “most personal, private” thoughts. If anything, it is expected of Christians. And I never self-appointed myself as a referee - I simply responded to your original “aggresive and nasty” attack on the OP, because I myself couldn’t stand the type of stuff you had originally posted. And I’m not chastising any advice because you hadn’t given any advice. And yes, I am endorsing my beliefs, but that’s exactly what the OP is asking us, CHRISTIANS, to do. And yes, I did edit my post, but only because you edited yours first from a four-paragraph, “aggressive and nasty” attack to a three-sentence, majorly edited “advice”</p>
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<p>You’re choosing what you consider advice, based on the number of sentences and how well the advice agrees with your code of beliefs. Hence you have appointed yourself a referee, and a sanctimonious one at that. If you read my original post, my advice was this: Do the math, and you’ll have your answer.</p>
<p>It was good advice, and I stand by it. If you don’t like the advice, simply ignore it.</p>
<p>OP: We will not reduce our tithe. When I became a Christian at age 39, this was the first thing that God required of me; I now see that this was the quickest way for him to get at my trust issues. Even when it seemed impossible, he has been faithful to his promise that he will not only provide, but bless. For me, deciding not to tithe simply because I, with my faulty vision, cannot see the way – that would be me saying, “God, I don’t trust you.”</p>
<p>When my resolve begins to waver, I re-read the only passage in the Bible where God invites us to test him: Malachi 3:10. :)</p>
<p>Non-Christians: Please understand that for us, this is not a bookkeeping question. It’s about our relationship with God.</p>
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<p>Very well put.</p>
<p>LasMa…that was an excellent post. If you’re not a Christian, this may, indeed sound like a bookkeeping questions. But it’s not.</p>
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<p>NO. What you originally posted was something like: </p>
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<p>Anyway, this is my advice to the OP: Do pray (not math) and you’ll have your answer :)</p>
<p>I’m out.</p>
<p>Definitely pray about it, and talk to others at your church, not just pastor/staff. Also remember that if you reduce your tithe, it will make your taxable income higher, that might be something to consider, not from a religious standpoint, but practical standpoint.</p>
<p>Our philosophy is a bit different here. We believe God owns all our money and possessions and lets us keep 90% of the income. So we see it as a matter of, “what do we keep?” as opposed to, “what do we give”. We have had to lower our giving at times, but it was always after prayer and meditation.</p>
<p>We have always felt that God would provide the way for His ways. Some felt that God’s plan was for them to send there kids to private Christian schools, without contributing to the church, we always felt God telling us to remain contributing and find other solutions. We home schooled and then ended up sending them to our local public high school, God has protected them in that high school, so he has been faithful to us and his church. God will provide an answer and a means, he always does. We have certainly gone out on a limb of faith financially and have always been taken care of. There has been times when we felt that we would lower our giving if it came to that, but it didn’t. God has always and continues to provide for us.</p>
<p>God Bless</p>
<p>I don’t see this as a personal question at all. Atomic Girl, thank you for the advice. I agree that God owns all and we are stewards. Our perspective is the same on that issue. I agree that if we need to have the faith to trust. Thanks for the affirmation.</p>