I cant seem to find the answer to my question about ... Should I get my debts paid off first with lesser tithing or pay my 10% +, and make my payoffs take longer ?
Biblically give to God First and that believing he will give you increase and supply all your need. In the law it was ten percent or first fruits whether animals or crops but you gave your best first, thats the tithe and purpose of it. Now how and where you give is your call, understand this your responsibility if possible is to give and it must not be grudgingly God loves a cheerful giver, also the receiver is responsible for what he does with it. So who do you trust. The apostle Paul talks about it to the church of corinth. Once you give Let Go And Let God. Thats believing!
You will probably have a variety of perspectives in tithing. In short, not everyone agrees about tithing, and I personally think having a heart and willingness to help others is the takeaway. I don't think it's the amount, or even necessarily money, but time. For example, if a drug dealer asks me for money, should I tithe to him? What if instead I used my time and gift of encouragement- which of the two is what Jesus would do? Now, which in these 2 situations is best to help: a widow who is in a desperate situation and is evicted from her apartment and needs help, or give money to a local megachurch who just spent $1 million upgrading their stage for laser lights, fog machine, and are paying a performing arts company to do painting and acrobatics during a service once a week. Which would please the Lord more?
I personally believe our time and labor is just as valuable as money and is a valid way of helping others. I see only weak support for tithing in the Bible. There is stronger support for keeping the Sabbath and eating kosher foods than tithing and somehow many pastors won't preach that, but some will take time to almost guilt-trip Christians to give to their church- when maybe their own irresponsible spending and poor money management is the original problem- not people giving more to fund a building with AC/heating, repairs, taxes, etc that's vacant 95% of the time, when in the same area could be a dozen more churches also vacant 95% of the week. So, instead of sharing resources, or meeting in houses like they did in early Christianity, all this overhead burden is placed on people and instead of giving to actual people in need, they give to maintain a building that's unused and virtually useless most of the time. I think this is wrong. So, I personally do not give to a general church fund, because I feel funds are misappropriated. I feel so much better buying McDonalds gift cards and giving them to homeless. I would never go into debt to tithe.
You will probably have a variety of perspectives in tithing. In short, not everyone agrees about tithing, and I personally think having a heart and willingness to help others is the takeaway. I don't think it's the amount, or even necessarily money, but time. For example, if a drug dealer asks me for money, should I tithe to him? What if instead I used my time and gift of encouragement- which of the two is what Jesus would do? Now, which in these 2 situations is best to help: a widow who is in a desperate situation and is evicted from her apartment and needs help, or give money to a local megachurch who just spent $1 million upgrading their stage for laser lights, fog machine, and are paying a performing arts company to do painting and acrobatics during a service once a week. Which would please the Lord more?
I personally believe our time and labor is just as valuable as money and is a valid way of helping others. I see only weak support for tithing in the Bible. There is stronger support for keeping the Sabbath and eating kosher foods than tithing and somehow many pastors won't preach that, but some will take time to almost guilt-trip Christians to give to their church- when maybe their own irresponsible spending and poor money management is the original problem- not people giving more to fund a building with AC/heating, repairs, taxes, etc that's vacant 95% of the time, when in the same area could be a dozen more churches also vacant 95% of the week. So, instead of sharing resources, or meeting in houses like they did in early Christianity, all this overhead burden is placed on people and instead of giving to actual people in need, they give to maintain a building that's unused and virtually useless most of the time. I think this is wrong. So, I personally do not give to a general church fund, because I feel funds are misappropriated. I feel so much better buying McDonalds gift cards and giving them to homeless. I would never go into debt to tithe.
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