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Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for giving to charity, but I would never give 10% of gross income plus we are very selective about the charities we give to. We look to those that can best directly serve people. St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital is our priority.
In my opinion, tithing 10% can create undue pressure and financial hardship and a skewing of priorities.
To me the first priority is family and their security and eventually helping children and grandchildren when appropriate. The second is your retirement.
Achieving financial independence to the extent a person does not become a burden on others or society is the goal.
As I see it …paying your debts, avoiding unnecessary debt, educating your children, saving for retirement all come first before tithing.
If a person can tithe 10% of gross income while meeting all other obligations and financial priorities, good for them. They did better than we did.
It’s the pressure on those who can’t handle that commitment that I worry about.
Regardless of how one wants to give, to me it needs to reflect their financial state and responsibilities. A young couple starting out needs different priorities and 10% or even less giving may not be prudent. This is the time to build.
As their finances become more stable and adequate they may want to increase giving, in older age even more so.
Give according to one’s ability, not an arbitrary standard. There is a season for everything.
In our early years as a married couple, I knew how much we spent each year, but not how it was proportionately allocated. Our giving was irregular, and at the end of each year, our charitable receipts did not reflect how we might have prioritized our giving.
When we designed a spending plan, we proportionately allocated our dollars to various categories according to our values and desires. This included all giving, deductible and non-deductible. We had similar priorities as did you, and over the years with rising income and wealth, so did our giving. I leave it to others to decide whether and how to include secular and sectarian giving as that is beyond my scope.
I understand the point of your article, and you offer some astute observations. Grappling with this topic reveals our world view, and mine is one of faith. As such, my belief is we own nothing but are stewards of what we have been entrusted.
As citizens of the United States and countries of Western Europe, we are among the wealthiest people in the history of the world. I think that with that blessing comes responsibility. Scripture also reminds us that to whom much is given, much will be required.
Financial expert Ron Blue identifies four basic uses of money: live, give, owe, and grow—five if you separate “owe” into debt and taxes. Most people naturally prioritize them this way: live first, then owe, grow, and finally give.
Over the years, I’ve found that inverting that order not only aligns with biblical stewardship but also leads to greater peace and purpose:
1. Give – Honor God and bless others with your first fruits.
2. Grow – Build steadily and wisely.
3. Owe – Manage and minimize debt and taxes.
4. Live – Let your lifestyle fit what remains and enjoy your blessings.
While the New Testament doesn’t specify an amount to share, I think John Ortberg put it well when it comes to our giving: “The tithe is a wonderful floor—but a terrible ceiling.” As we are blessed with more, our generosity should grow right alongside it. From my personal experience, I have found that I simply cannot outgive God. His shovel is larger than mine.
Thanks for your thoughts Dick. As you know, I have a completely different perspective. You can read my experience with tithing here (https://humbledollar.com/2021/06/magic-number/). I often joke that my I lost credibility with tithing when I became a minister. We started long before seminary was a glint in my eye. Tithing is the best spiritual and financial practice I have ever learned. The spiritual lessons include remembering that there will be enough and sharing what we have is good for everyone; the financial include learning the discipline and trusting there will be enough. If I had a magic wand I would start people out giving 10% away, saving 10% and spending 80%. The God and religion stuff can get in the way for too many; it is the practice and realities it teaches that makes it most valuable. (And while 10% has some religious doctrine/baggage about it, we mainly did it because it was “easiest” accounting wise.)