Why Tithe?

Why Tithe?
by Creflo Dollar

Why do we do what we do? As Christians, we live according to the Kingdom of God, and in His Kingdom, tithing is a way of life. The issue of tithing is controversial because many people simply do not see the significance of honoring God with their finances. In addition, the enemy has tried everything he can to convince people that “all preachers want is your money.” This is a lie from the pit of hell! While there may be some bad apples in the bunch, this should not deter us from obeying God with our finances. Tithing is a Kingdom issue. It is how we honor God and activate His blessing on our lives. It is done out of love for Him. When we honor God with the tithe, we become connected to an empowerment to prosper in every area of our lives.

I have done many personal studies on the tithing question, and each time, I get more understanding about the subject and why it is so important to God. First, to tithe something means to give a tenth of it. As it relates to our finances, tithing is giving ten percent of all our financial income to God. It is giving a tenth of whatever money comes into our hands before taxes and other deductions are made. Contrary to what some Christians may believe, we do not give our tithes; we pay them to God because they already belong to Him. Once we pay our tithes, our offerings qualify as giving.
Tithing in the Old Testament can be traced back to Abraham and the High Priest, Melchizedek. Genesis 14:17 says:

And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king’s dale. And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

Abraham brought ten percent of the spoils he gained from the battle to the king of Salem. Because the hand and the presence of God were on Melchizedek, Abraham wanted to honor God with the tithe. As a result, there was an exchange that took place—Melchizedek received the tithe and released an empowerment to prosper on Abraham’s life by blessing him.

When we tithe, not only are we giving money to help advance the agenda of God’s Kingdom on the Earth, but we are also demonstrating our love for Him. It is not about a preacher forcing us to tithe, but it should be about having the attitude that says, “God has blessed me with finances, and I get to tithe as an expression of my love and gratefulness for what He has done in my life.” Tithing it is not about the money as much as it is about the blessing. And when we tithe, we become connected to everything God promises in His covenant.