Giving is an important aspect of the Christian life. Money represents both your life and where your heart is. If you earn $ 10 an hour, a $ 10 bill represents one hour of your life. When you give that same $ 10 to God, you have actually given God 1 hour of your life. That is why it is so important to give for the Christian.
Also, where you put your money, your heart follows. So if you invest in the things of God, your heart will be in the things of God. God knows.
Luke 12:34 – For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Because of this, there are three types of monetary donations that the Bible talks about. They are: tithes, offerings and alms. Here are the distinctions:
TITHES
The tithe is literally one-tenth. Malachi 3: 8 talks about robbing God by withholding his tithes. God asks for 10% of your raise. This 10% was destined to finance the work of God (Numbers 18:24). The Christian gives it as something that already belongs to God.
Leviticus 27:30, 32 – And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the ground or of the fruit of the tree, is Jehovah’s: consecrated to Jehovah. 32 And of the tithe of the cows or of the sheep, of everything that passes under the rod, the tenth will be consecrated to the LORD.
Giving less than 10% is not tithing. Giving more than 10% is more than a tithe; only 10% can be considered a tithe.
OFFERS
Offerings are exactly what it implies. There is no set amount to make it an offer. It is anything above the 10% that God requires you to choose to give because of your love for God and your appreciation for what He has done for you.
Deuteronomy 16:10 – And you shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks to Jehovah your God with a free tribute offering from your hand, which you shall give to Jehovah your God, according to the blessing of Jehovah your God;
An offering is something you decide. The amount is not established. It is given according to the blessings with which you believe God has blessed you. This offering is also given to the work of God. It’s a way of saying, ‘Thank you!’
ALMS
Handouts are money, or things you have bought, that you give to someone in need. It is your decision to help the poor, meet the needs of those in need, and love your neighbor.
Acts 3: 2 – And a lame man was carried from his mother’s womb, whom they put every day at the door of the temple, which is called Beautiful, to beg those who entered the temple for alms;
This, again, is something you decide to do. There is no set amount, no determining factor except your own heart.
Proverbs 19:17 – Whoever has compassion on the poor lends to the Lord; and what he has given, he will pay back.