Your right about tithing. It is another secret to being wealthy and giving....Being Very serious, To whom do you tithe?..To a Church that pays themselves (for the building fund?) To the poor that make as much as you on UI, WIC, etc? Whom should I tithe to? How about tithing to myself for purely selfish reasons? I started putting $5.00 a week away in 1988 into a deferred comp fund with no employer back up. I upped it every time I got a raise. I gave money to UWay every year (which I quit, they are crooked as a Clinton or Al Sharpton) and ended up with $300,00 from Def Comp. when I retired. As well as my pension. As well as my SS. TO WHOM DO I TITHE?
Good question. The answer is God. We return a portion of what He has given of our increase out of a grateful heart. This portion, one tenth, was first given by Abraham to Melchizedek and is the minimum standard which we strive to exceed. Melchizedek is believed to be Shem who may have been a priest after Noah (a Preacher of Righteousness according to Hebrews).
Priests were supported in ancient times by these tithes and offerings to God. And in the New Testament this is in support of the Good News of Christ (the Gospel). If you do not have a church supporting the Good News of Christ, then I wholeheartly suggest giving through good works ministry that does the mission of the Good News. If you do have a church that preaches the Good News - then support it fully with at least 10% so the minister will have a living and support the churches missions.
My favorite Good Works ministries are to the Young, for that I believe can have the greatest impact. Compassion International is fantastic in that you can pour the good news into the children you support through online letters. Here in the US, I've given to Younglife Campership. Many young people receive the Good News at Younglife Camps and write letters back thanking you for what has blessed their lives immensely.
If you have no church preaching the Good News, then I would do something for the poor, the widows and the orphans (this includes the young IMHO) that spreads the good news the most.
It is one of the Best Kept Secrets of Being Wealthy and Giving.
I've worked in three hospitals..where it was "assumed" you would give to the United Way..and if you didn't they wanted to know why.
The first place I encountered that...I just chucked the notice, that was in my box... into the trash can. Someone saw me do that...and told me I was in trouble. As the Dept. had 100% compliance. I just laughed.
The second place I encountered the same thing....I made sure people saw me wad the notice up and toss it in the trash. Someone said you can't do that. I said...yeah I can, and I just did. Ha!!
The third place was no different...except we had memos..telling everyone they need to give..and it needed to be 100%, of all employee's. I wadded up the notice...that was stuck in my mail box...and threw it in the trash...right in front of 2-3 fellow employee's. They were aghast!! Like I'd broken some law, or something!! LOL!!! I just laughed at them.....
The United Way...is a joke. No more or less than the United Nations is a joke.
I'm surrounded by idiots..........