This can’t be a popular subject but I think the church is being hurt because it is so unpopular… I have reluctantly taught tithing in youth group over the years but figured out that my reluctance has been a BIG problem. I think I’ve been guilty of raising up good church goers who just “tip” the church. You know, throw a bill in the plate every once in a while.
Financial blessings come with responsibility and opportunities. Most of us reading this are financially blessed. HA! I know some of you are about to pee your pants in laughter but in comparison to the rest of the world, we are blessed. We have to teach our students that regardless of how much they have, God has given us a specific command to tithe. Way back in Leviticus it lays out how we should bring to God his portion as a holy gift to the Lord.
We should train our teens that even though they don’t have a job, even a part time job, that they should be giving a tithe of the money they receive. If my teens would tithe on the money that’s given to them for “stuff,” our church budget would be great! So if your teens get money for a meal or a movie or a coffee at Starbucks, they should set aside a tenth of that to give to the Lord. That may seem a little hard now, but can you imagine how tough it will be when they get that job right out of college (making double or triple what you and I make)? Tithing on a $20 bill that I’m given may seem tough, but will making 100 grand and giving $10,000 be any easier? No…it’ll be harder.
The weird part of this is that, as a minister with students, I’ve always depended on the parents to teach this concept of tithing to their children. I know…pretty dumb on my part, but I did think it. If they aren’t tithing, what made me think that they would teach their children to tithe? So there it is: Are you teaching the next generation to bring their tithe to God? If not, why not…