When is Tithing Wrong?

If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know that tithing is one of my favorite topics. But there are six common situations where tithing is wrong. These might be more familiar than you realize.

1. You’re Only Doing It to be Blessed

Maybe you’ve heard pastors promise financial prosperity if you tithe—or even just more happiness and contentment. And there is some truth to this.

Malachi 3:10 says, “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse . . .. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.” The Bible speaks confidently that there is a blessing for those who tithe.

But if you’re tithing only for the benefits, Jesus knows your heart. 2 Corinthians 9.7 says, “God loves a cheerful giver.” God loves the one who gives freely in worship as a response to what Christ has done—not a giver who’s selfishly anticipating what’s in store for them after they give.

2. You Think It Will Make You Rich

Many people have bought into a prosperity Gospel that if I do X, God will do Y and multiply my gift tenfold, even a hundredfold. But God is not a vending machine, and tithing is not a winning lottery ticket.

Like I just mentioned, the Scriptures do promise God will bless those who give. But they never promise that tithing will make you wealthy. God says he will meet our needs, not our wants. If you’re looking around for a material blessing after you give, you could be looking for the wrong thing. That blessing could be spiritual—like a closer walk with Christ.

Jesus warned us about greed when he said, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12.15). So don’t tithe as a promise of wealth to come—unless that wealth is eternal riches.

3. You Think It Guarantees Salvation

You should pause before tithing if you think it gives you a ticket into heaven.

In Acts 8, Simon the Magician sees the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit at work in the early church. He tries to buy the Holy Spirit from the apostles, but is soundly rebuked. Peter tells him, “Your heart is not right before God. Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you” (Acts 8.21-22).

Similarly, if you think your salvation is guaranteed because you’re tithing, you’re self-deceived. The point of salvation through Jesus is that it’s all grace, that it is a gift from God we do not deserve that we receive by faith in him alone (Eph. 2:8-9).

Trying to earn salvation by any good works, including tithing, means you aren’t relying on Christ’s sacrifice alone. Buying your way to heaven is futile.

4. You’re Bragging About It

Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 6:1).

Jesus is referring to the Pharisees who gave their offerings to the temple in front of everyone for the praise of men—not the glory of God. Jesus makes a radical shift in how we think about giving by saying that true generosity to God is done in secret, not for the recognition of others.

Are you giving for the likes and comments on social media? Beware of posting nonstop pictures of your volunteer events, gifts, charitable acts, or mission trips. God rewards the giving that only he knows about.

5. You Have Unreconciled Relationships

You may not realize that your relationships affect your tithe. Jesus says that if you’ve sinned against someone and not made it right with that person, wait to give your tithe until you attempt to reconcile:

“So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5:23-24)

Your vertical reconciliation to God through the Gospel will be displayed in your horizontal relationships. Before you tithe, make your heart right with your loved ones and those you need to make amends with.

A quick disclaimer here: You’re responsible for your obedience to God—not someone else’s response. You should attempt to reconcile, apologize, and hear the other person out. Ideally, the relationship would be reconciled. But it’s not on your shoulders how the other person chooses to respond. The important thing is that once you’ve reached out, resume giving your tithes and offerings.

6. You’re Going Through the Motions

God says in Isaiah 29.13, “this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me.” The nation of Israel was giving lip service to God but not experiencing true worship because their hearts were already given to idols.

If your heart isn’t in it and you’re just tithing to check a box, I encourage you to spend time in the Scriptures studying God’s generosity and his character. Meditate on his love for you. Pray that he will change your heart so you are tithing out of love for him, and then begin tithing again out of this new perspective.

Summary

If any of these six scenarios apply to you, I’m not here to give you an excuse to stop tithing, but to take a long, hard look at your motives and repent if needed. God wants you to tithe out of a heart of worship and gratitude to him, not for sinful or unbiblical reasons.