Dear VALUE SLEUTH:
If I’ve purposed in my heart (2 Cor 9) to give a tithe, should I tithe on my gross or net earnings?
- GIVER IN GALESBURG
Dear GIVER:
Sounds to me like you’ve already got the right thing going on…your heart. First, while ‘tithe’ means 10%, you’d find that OT giving practices required about 30% (+/- a few percentage points). Without writing a book here, I think Jesus both validated 10% as a minimum starting point and, as we read in Paul’s letter, the real point isn’t the percentage.
Gross or net earnings? How about neither? (Bet you never heard your pastor say that!) If you want to tithe on your ‘increase’ (Deut 14:22), then consider the following:
Israelites were called to give ‘firstfruits’ (Deut 18: 4 et al) meaning tithing before anything else. Our government has decided that they’d take their piece first, which is why we have a ‘net’ to begin with…but if you’re going to give God first, then you should give on the gross.
BUT…most likely you receive more than that. Health benefits paid on your behalf? Life insurance? Use of a company car?
The reality is that your ‘increase,’ meaning the sum of the value you’ve received, is even more than your gross wage.
So we’re back to the heart issue. I’d decide your giving level by saying, “God, I love you so much for loving me first and saving me from eternal separation that I want to worship you with X%.” THEN I’d challenge yourself to do go beyond that and see what happens.
You’ll be amazed. I promise.