tithe
Tithing Reframed: Three Principles That Transform Giving from Obligation to Revelation
For many Christians, tithing is experienced as a necessary, but uninspiring, expense. It can feel like a spiritual tax, an HOA fee for church membership, or the price paid for programs, preaching, and pastoral care. When approached this way, tithing becomes transactional, mechanical, and easily resented. But Scripture, and lived experience, invite us to see tithing very differently. When understood through faith and revelation rather than obligation, tithing shifts from an economic exercise to a deeply spiritual practice. Here are three principles that reframe tithing from duty to discipleship.
Principle 1: Money Is Spiritual
Money is never neutral. Scripture consistently presents it as a spiritual force that reveals trust, allegiance, and worship.
Jesus warned that no one can serve both God and mammon (Matt. 6:24), identifying money not merely as a tool but as a rival master with spiritual influence. Paul echoed this when he taught that generosity releases “all grace” toward the believer (2 Cor. 9:8). Malachi went further, describing the tithe as opening the windows of heaven, rebuking the devourer, and breaking curses off one’s provision (Mal. 3:8–11).
When money is treated only as currency, tithing becomes an empty transaction. But when money is understood as spiritual, giving becomes an act of worship, trust, and alignment with God’s economy.
This is why gimmicks like “90-day tithe guarantees” miss the point. Tithing is not a financial experiment or a divine investment strategy. It is not a Ponzi scheme designed to generate returns. Without faith and revelation, it may feel disappointing. But when obedience is joined with trust, God often responds in ways that defy explanation. Tithing practiced through revelation changes everything; not because God is manipulated, but because the heart is aligned.
Principle 2: We Return the Tithe; We Don’t Give It
One of the most clarifying insights about tithing is this: the tithe was never ours to give—it already belongs to the Lord. Malachi’s accusation of robbery only makes sense if something belonging to God is being withheld. To “rob” someone is not to refuse generosity, but to keep what is rightfully theirs. This reframing removes both pride and pressure. The tithe is not a heroic act of generosity; it is a simple act of obedience. Returning it acknowledges God’s ownership over our lives, our provision, and our future.
This principle also exposes the gap between what we say and what we actually trust. Like the rich young ruler, many are willing to profess allegiance to Jesus, until obedience touches their security. The issue was never wealth itself, but trust.
Tithing becomes a mirror of the heart. It keeps our faith honest. It prevents us from singing songs of surrender while quietly retaining control. In this sense, tithing “keeps it real.”
Principle 3: Obedience Should Be Complete, Not Partial
Grace was never intended to eliminate obedience; it empowers it. While salvation is free and unearned, discipleship still involves surrender. When grace is used to avoid expectation, obedience is redefined as legalism, and spiritual disciplines, like tithing, are dismissed rather than embraced. Malachi instructs God’s people to bring all the tithe into the storehouse. The Hebrew word for “all” conveys completeness—whole, total, full.
For some, this revelation expands the understanding of income. God’s provision often comes through far more than a paycheck: bonuses, gifts, inheritances, investments, honorariums, interest, and even material blessings. Recognizing these as forms of God’s enlargement invites a fuller expression of obedience.
This is not about legalistic accounting or judgment of others. It is about responding to personal conviction with integrity and joy. Complete obedience is not a burden—it brings peace. It is an act of honor, not anxiety. Each believer must walk this out before the Lord, but the underlying question remains the same: Am I acknowledging God’s ownership fully, or selectively?
Final Thought
Tithing is not about funding a church, it’s about forming a heart. When money is seen as spiritual, the tithe as returned, and obedience as complete, giving becomes an act of faith rather than fear. And when that epiphany takes root, tithing stops being a struggle.
It becomes worship.
Summarized from Dr. Kevin Baird's facebook series post on tithing.
For many Christians, tithing is experienced as a necessary, but uninspiring, expense. It can feel like a spiritual tax, an HOA fee for church membership, or the price paid for programs, preaching, and pastoral care. When approached this way, tithing becomes transactional, mechanical, and easily resented. But Scripture, and lived experience, invite us to see tithing very differently. When understood through faith and revelation rather than obligation, tithing shifts from an economic exercise to a deeply spiritual practice. Here are three principles that reframe tithing from duty to discipleship.
Principle 1: Money Is Spiritual
Money is never neutral. Scripture consistently presents it as a spiritual force that reveals trust, allegiance, and worship.
Jesus warned that no one can serve both God and mammon (Matt. 6:24), identifying money not merely as a tool but as a rival master with spiritual influence. Paul echoed this when he taught that generosity releases “all grace” toward the believer (2 Cor. 9:8). Malachi went further, describing the tithe as opening the windows of heaven, rebuking the devourer, and breaking curses off one’s provision (Mal. 3:8–11).
When money is treated only as currency, tithing becomes an empty transaction. But when money is understood as spiritual, giving becomes an act of worship, trust, and alignment with God’s economy.
This is why gimmicks like “90-day tithe guarantees” miss the point. Tithing is not a financial experiment or a divine investment strategy. It is not a Ponzi scheme designed to generate returns. Without faith and revelation, it may feel disappointing. But when obedience is joined with trust, God often responds in ways that defy explanation. Tithing practiced through revelation changes everything; not because God is manipulated, but because the heart is aligned.
Principle 2: We Return the Tithe; We Don’t Give It
One of the most clarifying insights about tithing is this: the tithe was never ours to give—it already belongs to the Lord. Malachi’s accusation of robbery only makes sense if something belonging to God is being withheld. To “rob” someone is not to refuse generosity, but to keep what is rightfully theirs. This reframing removes both pride and pressure. The tithe is not a heroic act of generosity; it is a simple act of obedience. Returning it acknowledges God’s ownership over our lives, our provision, and our future.
This principle also exposes the gap between what we say and what we actually trust. Like the rich young ruler, many are willing to profess allegiance to Jesus, until obedience touches their security. The issue was never wealth itself, but trust.
Tithing becomes a mirror of the heart. It keeps our faith honest. It prevents us from singing songs of surrender while quietly retaining control. In this sense, tithing “keeps it real.”
Principle 3: Obedience Should Be Complete, Not Partial
Grace was never intended to eliminate obedience; it empowers it. While salvation is free and unearned, discipleship still involves surrender. When grace is used to avoid expectation, obedience is redefined as legalism, and spiritual disciplines, like tithing, are dismissed rather than embraced. Malachi instructs God’s people to bring all the tithe into the storehouse. The Hebrew word for “all” conveys completeness—whole, total, full.
For some, this revelation expands the understanding of income. God’s provision often comes through far more than a paycheck: bonuses, gifts, inheritances, investments, honorariums, interest, and even material blessings. Recognizing these as forms of God’s enlargement invites a fuller expression of obedience.
This is not about legalistic accounting or judgment of others. It is about responding to personal conviction with integrity and joy. Complete obedience is not a burden—it brings peace. It is an act of honor, not anxiety. Each believer must walk this out before the Lord, but the underlying question remains the same: Am I acknowledging God’s ownership fully, or selectively?
Final Thought
Tithing is not about funding a church, it’s about forming a heart. When money is seen as spiritual, the tithe as returned, and obedience as complete, giving becomes an act of faith rather than fear. And when that epiphany takes root, tithing stops being a struggle.
It becomes worship.
Summarized from Dr. Kevin Baird's facebook series post on tithing.
Recent
Archive
2026
January
2025
March
May
August
2024
May
August
September
October
2023
January
June
August
October
Categories
no categories
No Comments