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“Each one should give as he has decided in his heart—not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7)
Tithing is not simply about obligation—it is about the heart, the body, and the shared life of the Church. Paul writes to a fractured community in Corinth, calling them back to love, to unity, and to the understanding that we are many members, but one body.
“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.” (1 Corinthians 12:12)
Tithing is not meant to be a burden, but a blessing. It is the opportunity to bring our portion—however great or small—to the altar in faith, trusting that God will weave it into something greater than we could create alone. As in the early Church, where each brought what they could so that none were in need, we too are invited to give from the heart, in the spirit of mutual care and divine generosity. (Acts 2:42–47; 4:32–35)
I was once a spectator in the Church, watching how God was working in others, and I longed to have that same relationship with Him. Then I was taught by someone with far more wisdom than I had. He asked me, “Do you love Jesus?” and of course, I said, “Yes.” But then he asked, “Do you listen to what Christ has called you to do?”
I knew the answer. I had excuses—good ones, or so I thought. They had worked for me for a long time. But in the light of truth, they all fell away. All I could say was, “No.”
That moment broke something open in me—not in a way that left me empty, but in a way that made space for something new. I realized that love for Christ cannot remain just a thought or a feeling—it needed action.
Tithing, for me, became one of the first steps toward no longer standing on the sidelines of faith.
“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58)
William Tanner – Elder
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