Q: We don’t feel like we have enough money to tithe. How important is that, really?
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A: The first question we would ask you is: Have you and your spouse gone over your budget in great detail so you know exactly what’s coming in and how much is going out? Have you really taken a strong look at the details of your budget? One husband shared this with us:
“About seven years ago, my wife and I got very serious about tithing. At that time we had a fairly substantial credit card debt. We knew it was important to pay that debt off. What has happened now is that the debt has continued to grow slowly. We have put every dollar we have into paying off the debt. Now I’m at a point where—and I’m going to tell this to everyone who doesn’t know it—debt robs your joy of giving to the Lord. We’re having a hard time tithing. As a matter of fact, I have prayed and this is what I believe: God wants me to get my debt out of the way so that I can get back to tithing and giving as he leads.”
Cash flow can be a real drain on a couple. The very first step is to really dig into the details of your budget. Often it is best to have a third party involved, too, because he or she might help you pinpoint areas where you’re spending that you don’t even think about. Another option is to spend thirty days tracking every expense you make, no matter how small. Take a little spiral notebook and every time you spend cash for something, write it down. That can be a real eye opener and help you see where you might be bleeding money.
But let’s go one step further. Maybe you’ve done that exercise and trimmed your budget to the core; there’s nothing else that is discretionary in your budget. What we’ve told people is that God wants you to be out of debt. He wants you to be debt free. Debt robs you of the joy of giving and actually puts you in the position where you’re the servant. Given that scenario, there are two areas of resources that you have—time and money. If you cut back some on the resource of money that you’re giving to your church, maybe you can give of your time and talents. Then get your financial debts paid off so that you can joyfully tithe once again.
*For more practical marriage advice, check out The Great Marriage Q&A Book. It's available in our online bookstore!