Is Tithing too Taxing?

Well, the elections are over! At least most of them anyway...still waiting on some stray ballots as usual. Some people are happy about the results and some are not. And as usual some don't care.

I'm in a Bible study this fall on the book of Isaiah. WOW. Talk about deep. But also talk about real!! It could be the headlines in the Dallas Morning News. The thing that sticks out to me is that people are still trying to rule the world and not give God the credit. They seem to think that they are in power because of something THEY did...ha I'm sure God laughs at that thought...In fact, the Bible says.” The one enthroned in heaven laughs in disgust” Ps 2:4

HOWEVER! I also believe after studying Isaiah that the Lord will use whatever means necessary to get his point across. That means a lot of things, but the point I wanted to make in this note is what that means to us and our current economy....mainly the whole "tax and spend" agenda that we seem to be in. While there are certainly "pork" plans and "earmarks" that are selfish and probably unnecessary, I’m not talking about those. I'm talking about the supports that are needed like helping the needy, poor, sick, disabled, orphaned, widowed…you get the picture.

Whose job is it to take care of the needy? Is it really the government’s? I don’t think so. The Bible says in James 1:27

“Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”

This includes those who cannot fend for themselves.

James 2:14-20What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can this kind of faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,” but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is it? So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by my works. You believe that God is one; well and good. Even the demons believe that – and tremble with fear. But would you like evidence, you empty fellow, that faith without works is useless?

So is God using our Government to do the job that we were meant to do? I believe he is. In Isaiah 10, God used the Assyrian army to bring destruction upon the children of Israel because they had forgotten to whom they belonged. They had begun to worship idols and forget it was Yahweh, the one True God who had brought them out of slavery. They had allowed “the government” to dictate to them where their allegiance should lie. And because it was easier to take the government’s way rather than fight it or seek God’s way, slowly but surely, they had turned into a nation who didn’t acknowledge God.

But there was a “remnant” that had not forgotten. Because of that small group of people, God protected Israel once again and did not allow them to be utterly destroyed although they had to go through much trauma, tragedy and death in the process. God used the ungodly nation of Assyria to bring about his will for His people to worship Him.

In like manner, we have allowed the government to take over our role of caring for the needy (and many other roles as well). Our tithes and offerings were meant to support our local body of believers and offer help to those who cannot help themselves. Only about 6% of the Evangelical population tithes. People who think the government should take care of all of the social ills in this country are the least generous with their own money. The most generous in charitable giving is the conservative working class.

So really regardless of whether you’re conservative or liberal, republican or democrat, Christian or not, our treasure speaks for what our hearts will not say out loud. We can yell and scream that we do not want government taking over our healthcare and our schools, and our private corporations, but until we are willing to give at least the bare minimum when it comes to God’s church and the organizations set up to help those who cannot help themselves, we might as well, shut up…

We have the perfect opportunity to take care of a large portion of our country’s social ills, through the system that God set up for us thousands of years ago..Tithes and offerings. But we have shirked our responsibility; our privilege; our blessing that God so wants to give us.

So there it is ….more tithe or more tax… which do you find more taxing?

Hebrews 13:16 (The Message)

Make sure you don’t take things for granted and go slack in working for the common good; share what you have with others. God takes particular pleasure in acts of worship- a different kind of sacrifice – that take place in the kitchen and workplace and on the streets.

Malachi 3:10 Bring the entire tithe into the storehouse so that there may be food in my temple. Test me in this matter,” says the Lord who rules over all, “to see if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until there is no room for it all.