I’ve thought a lot about tithing and debt and whether God would be more honored and would rather have us tithe or get out of debt.
In Scripture, debt is considered like a curse. We are commanded to owe no man anything except the debt of love. Also, the borrower is slave to the lender.
So if we are trying to do the right thing, which would be better? To tithe 10% to God or to pay off debt and be responsible with our money.
I think that if you’re paying someone off and you say to them, I can’t because I have to tithe, it’s just not the right thing to do. God owns everything anyway. He doesn’t NEED our money, and we know that by paying off debt we are being obedient to God. And since we’re not under the Law any more but grace, we are not even obligated to give 10% because, really, we owe God EVERYTHING. He owns it all anyway and we are just stewards of it.
To me, I think that it would be better to concentrate on paying off debt rather than letting debt remain to people and *give* it to God and just give as you feel led, and stop obsessing about that 10%.
Give what you are joyful about giving but concentrate on paying off your debt I think. If you want give 10%, but forget tithing which was a law that has past.
I think it is amazing and freeing to know God let’s us decide what we will give, we just shouldn’t be reluctant to give or feel it is compulsory. Giving is a joyful thing or it isn’t giving. I would also say be mindful of the least of these, Matt 25 regarding the sheep and the goats, it is a prophecy not a parable, Jesus will cast the goats into hell and his sheep will enter into the Kingdom of God. His sheep are like Him they care about the needy including strangers, the goats will find any excuse not to personally help the needy.