Real Life #5: “Tithes and Offerings: Is God Broke or Am I Greedy?” — Money as a Spiritual Thermometer

by | Jan 23, 2026 | Relationships

Estimated reading time: 20-25 minutes

Series: Real Life: Maturity in Practice (Episode 5)

Keywords: tithes and offerings new testament, prosperity gospel vs bible, money in the bible, greed and idolatry, is tithing law or grace, christian generosity, 2 corinthians 9, malachi 3 context.

Introduction: The Most Awkward Moment of the Service

It’s Sunday morning. The worship set was beautiful, the presence of God felt real, and hearts were open. Suddenly, the music shifts, the pastor (or an usher) grabs the microphone, and the atmosphere in the room undergoes a subtle but perceptible change. It’s time for the “Tithes and Offerings.”

For many Christians, this is the moment to stare at their shoes, scroll through their phones, or suddenly decide they need to use the restroom. For others, it is a moment of guilt: “Oh God, I don’t have anything to give today.” And for a large portion of the church, it is a moment of deep suspicion: “Here they come, asking for money again. Does the church really need this? Does the pastor need a new car? Is this just a business?”

Why does money generate so much discomfort in the church? Because we have been wounded by two dangerous theological extremes:

  1. The Abuse of Prosperity: Preachers who have turned the Gospel into a transaction. “Give God $100 and He will give you back $1,000.” They manipulate human greed and treat God like a high-yield investment scheme or a cosmic slot machine.
  2. The Reaction of Greed: To avoid being “manipulated,” we close our fists. We become cynical. We think God is Spirit and doesn’t care about material things. We say: “Tithing is from the Law, I live under Grace, so I don’t need to give anything.”

The result? A generation of Christians who sing “I Surrender All” with their hands raised, but who, in their financial practice, live as practical atheists.

We need healing in this area. Jesus spoke more about money (about 15% of all his recorded teachings) than He did about Heaven and Hell combined. Why? Is it because God is broke and needs our coins to pave the streets of gold? No. He owns the gold and the silver (Haggai 2:8). He talks about money because money is the main competitor against God for the throne of your heart. Today, we are going to clear the ground of manipulation and look at what the Bible really says about your wallet. We will discover that generosity is not about paying a bill to the church, but about breaking the power of Mammon over your life.

1. The Diagnosis: Who is Your Owner? (Mammon vs. God)

Have you ever noticed that Jesus gives money a “proper name”? In Matthew 6:24, He says:

“No one can serve two masters… You cannot serve both God and Mammon.”

In many modern translations, it says “Money,” but the original Aramaic term Jesus used was Mammon. He personified money. He treated wealth not as an inanimate object (paper and metal), but as a Spiritual Power. Money has a spirit behind it. It has a voice. It makes promises that sound exactly like God’s promises.

  • Mammon promises: “If you have me, you will be safe.” (A lie; rich people also die, get sick, and face tragedy).
  • Mammon promises: “If you have me, you will be happy and loved.” (A lie; many wealthy people are profoundly lonely and depressed).
  • Mammon promises: “I am power. I am freedom.”

Money is an excellent servant, but a terrible master. If you master it, it builds hospitals, feeds the hungry, sends missionaries, and blesses your family. If it masters you, it makes you sell your principles, neglect your family, and lose your soul.

That is why the tithe and the offering are not a “club membership fee” for the church. They are a Weapon of War. Every time you receive your paycheck and separate the first part for the Kingdom of God, you are declaring war on Mammon. You are saying to your money: “You do not own me. You are not my source of security. God is my source. I can live with 90% blessed by God, but I cannot live with 100% cursed by greed.”

Financial giving is the spiritual act of dethroning money and enthroning Christ. It is a declaration of independence from the materialism that enslaves our culture.

2. The Origin: Is Tithing Law or Heart?

The most common argument today is: “Tithing is part of the Law of Moses. I am a New Testament Christian, I am free from the Law, so I don’t need to tithe.”

Let’s check the Bible. Does the tithe appear in the Law of Moses (Leviticus 27)? Yes. But does it appear before the Law? Yes.

Go to Genesis 14. Abraham (the father of faith) returns from a war. He meets Melchizedek (a mysterious priest who typifies Jesus). Abraham, spontaneously, without any written law, without anyone commanding him, “gave him a tenth of everything” (Genesis 14:20). Why did Abraham do this? It wasn’t out of fear of a curse. It wasn’t out of legal obligation. It was out of Gratitude. He recognized: “It was God who gave me the victory. Everything I have comes from Him. I want to honor Him by returning the firstfruits.”

Later, in Genesis 28, Jacob also proposes to give a tithe, long before Moses climbed Mount Sinai.

The Principle: The Law of Moses merely regulated a practice that already existed in the hearts of the patriarchs. The tithe is a principle of Honor and Firstfruits. If Grace (New Testament) is superior to the Law, does it produce less generosity? Think about it:

  • The Law said: “Do not kill.” Grace says: “Do not even hate your brother.” (Grace raises the standard).
  • The Law said: “Do not commit adultery.” Grace says: “Do not even look with lust.” (Grace deepens the standard).
  • The Law said: “Give 10%.” Would Grace say: “Give 2%” or “Give nothing”?

Grace never diminishes the offering; it increases it and makes it voluntary. Zacchaeus, when he encountered Grace (Jesus), didn’t give 10%. He said: “Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor” (Luke 19:8). Those touched by Grace realize that 100% belongs to God, and they become the most cheerful givers in the world. The tithe in the New Testament is not the ceiling (the maximum); it is the floor (the starting point) of generosity.

3. The Test of Malachi 3: Robbing God?

This is the most famous (and sometimes misused) text about tithing.

“Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me… In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse…” (Malachi 3:8-9)

Many preachers use this to terrorize the congregation: “If you don’t tithe, the devourer will wreck your car or make you get sick!” This is spiritual terrorism. In Christ, Jesus became a curse for us so that we could be redeemed (Galatians 3:13). You don’t tithe to avoid the devil; you tithe because you love God.

But the principle of Malachi remains valid: Retention generates Scarcity. When Israel stopped contributing, the Temple ran out of resources, the priests had to go work in the fields to survive, and worship ceased. The whole nation suffered. God says: “Bring the whole tithe… and test me in this.” It is the only place in the Bible where God says: “Test me” (or “Prove me”).

God is saying: “Do you think that if you give the tithe you will lack? Put me to the test. Put me first and see if I don’t open the floodgates of heaven.” The “floodgates of heaven” here are not necessarily a rain of cash. They can be:

  • Creative ideas for your business.
  • Health so you don’t waste money on medicine.
  • A car that runs longer than expected.
  • Wisdom to manage what is left.
  • And, above all, Peace.

I know people who earn $10,000 a month and have no peace (the money “leaks” away). And I know people who earn $2,000, are tithers, and live with dignity, joy, and provision that never fails. God’s math is different: 90% with God’s blessing goes further than 100% without it.

4. The New Testament: The Cheerful Giver (2 Corinthians 9)

How should we contribute in the Church age? Paul gives us the Christian financial constitution in 2 Corinthians 9:7:

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Let’s dissect this:

A. “What you have decided in your heart” (Planning)

The offering should not be purely emotional (“The preacher made me cry, I’ll give everything”). It should be rational and planned. You sit at home, look at your finances, and decide with God: “Lord, this month I will offer X.” God values intentionality. Generosity is not an accident; it is a decision.

B. “Not reluctantly” (Attachment)

If you put the offering in the bucket and your heart “hurts,” as if you were losing a piece of yourself, God does not receive it with pleasure. This reveals that you still love money. God does not want the money from your hand if your heart does not come with it.

C. “Or under compulsion” (Manipulation)

If you give because the pastor said “whoever doesn’t give will miss the blessing” or “whoever gives $1,000 will receive a double anointing,” you are being manipulated. An offering motivated by fear or greed is the offering of Cain (rejected). The correct motivation is Gratitude.

D. “God loves a cheerful giver” (Worship)

The Greek word for “cheerful” here is hilaros (from which we get “hilarious”). God loves the one who gives “laughing,” who gives with the excitement of someone giving a birthday present to someone they love. “Lord, take this! It is a privilege to participate in Your work! Use this to save lives!” That attitude attracts the heart of God.

5. The Poor Widow: It’s Not the Amount, It’s the Proportion (Mark 12)

One day, Jesus sat opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury (yes, Jesus watches how we give). Many rich people threw in large amounts. They made noise. It was impressive. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

Jesus stopped everything and said to his disciples:

“Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.” (Mark 12:43)

Mathematically, Jesus was wrong. Her coins couldn’t even pay for the temple cleaning service. Spiritually, He was right. Why? “They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

The Logic of Sacrifice: For God, the value of the offering is not the absolute number ($), but the cost to the giver.

  • For the rich man, giving $10,000 cost nothing (it was surplus). It required no faith.
  • For the widow, giving pennies cost her lunch. It required total faith.

This teaches us two things:

  1. Don’t underestimate your small offering. If it is your best, it shakes the heavens. God multiplies the little.
  2. Don’t boast about your large offering. If you give a lot, but it costs you nothing, to God it is little.

God does not measure the offering by what you gave, but by what you kept in your pocket. Generosity is measured by the level of sacrifice and trust.

6. Where Does the Money Go? The Responsibility of the Church

One of the great barriers to generosity is mistrust in the institution. “I don’t tithe because I don’t agree with how the pastor manages the funds.” Is this legitimate? Partly.

The Bible teaches that the tithe should be brought to the “Storehouse” (your local church), so that there may be food in God’s House. The money serves for:

  1. Worship Maintenance: Rent, electricity, sound, cleaning. The comfort where you hear the Word has a cost.
  2. Ministerial Support: Those who preach the Gospel should make their living from the Gospel (1 Corinthians 9:14). The pastor who dedicates full time to caring for your soul deserves a dignified wage.
  3. Social Assistance: Caring for orphans, widows, and the poor in the community.
  4. Missions: Sending the Word to those who do not know it.

What if the leadership is corrupt? If you have proof that your church steals or embezzles, leave it. Stop financing error. Find a serious church with transparent accountability, and give there. But do not use the corruption of some as an excuse for your own greed. The fact that there are corrupt politicians does not exempt you from paying taxes; the fact that there are corrupt pastors does not annul the biblical principle of generosity. You are responsible before God for the act of giving; the leadership is responsible before God for the management. If you give with a pure heart and they use it badly, they will be judged severely, but your reward is guaranteed.

7. Practice: The Path to Financial Freedom

If you want to break the cycle of scarcity and live the freedom of the Kingdom, here are practical steps based on the Word:

1. Start with Firstfruits (Tithe) As soon as the money comes in, separate God’s portion first. If you wait to give at the end of the month, there will never be anything left. Giving first is an act of faith: “Lord, I trust that the remaining 90% will go further with Your blessing than the 100% would on my own.” Honor God with the firstfruits.

2. Organize to be Generous (Budget) Generosity doesn’t happen by accident. Include a line item in your monthly budget for “Kingdom/Charity.” Be generous not only with the church but with people. Pay for someone’s lunch. Buy groceries for a neighbor. Be a channel, not a dam. A dam that retains water becomes stagnant; a channel that lets water flow is always clean and full of new life.

3. Flee from Debt The Bible says: “The borrower is slave to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7). Debt is slavery. God wants to set you free. Stop spending money you don’t have to impress people you don’t even like. Live one step below your means so that you have a margin to give and save.

4. Work with Excellence (As we saw in the previous text) Money comes from blessed work, not magic. Pray for God to bless the work of your hands, and be diligent, honest, and competent.

Conclusion: The Greatest Giver in the Universe

Why should we be generous? It’s not because “the church has bills to pay.” It’s not to “buy blessings.” It is because we are children of a Generous God.

The most famous verse in the Bible says: “For God so loved the world that He GAVE his one and only Son…” (John 3:16). God is a Giver. You will never be able to out-give God. He gave His best (Jesus) when we were still enemies. When you give, you look like your Father. Greed makes us look like the world (hoarding, fear). Generosity makes us look like Jesus (surrender, blessing).

Don’t let the fear of lack stop you. Open your hand. A closed fist lets nothing out, but it also lets nothing in. An open hand is the place where God’s miracles land. Try living a life of open hands and see if He won’t take care of every detail of your story.

Hearing Him Org — Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

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Financial life is just one aspect of maturity. Now that we have talked about Problems, Friendships, Emotions, Dating, and Money, we are ready to look back at our heroes. In the next article, we will resume the “The Incomparable” series and see how the Apostle Paul dealt with leadership conflict in the early church. Do saints fight?

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Biblical References Used

  • Matthew 6:24 (God vs. Mammon).
  • Genesis 14:20 (Abraham tithes to Melchizedek before the Law).
  • Malachi 3:8-10 (Robbing God and the test of the windows of heaven).
  • 2 Corinthians 9:7 (God loves a cheerful giver; principle of sowing).
  • Mark 12:41-44 (The widow’s mite; value vs. sacrifice).
  • Luke 19:8 (Zacchaeus’ generosity after conversion).
  • Haggai 2:8 (The silver is mine and the gold is mine).
  • 1 Corinthians 9:14 (Dignity of pastoral support).
  • Proverbs 22:7 (The borrower is slave to the lender).
  • John 3:16 (God gave His Son).

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