Tithing—Why Is It So Hard?
“Bring the full tenth into the storehouse so that there may be food in my house. Test me in this way,” says the Lord of Armies. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure.”
—Malachi 3:10, ESV
A dear friend recently asked me this question. She had been trying to tithe, but the way God was leading her to give didn’t seem to make sense—it didn’t feel like it was aligning with His will.
But when we set our hearts to tithe and give to the Lord, He fills us with joy and gladness. That’s when Satan comes immediately to steal that joy and disrupt the blessings headed our way. When God tells you to give—whether to a ministry or a person—don’t question Him. Don’t try to reason or figure it all out. We don’t know His plans, but He is always working behind the scenes. All He asks is that we trust Him.
Confusion comes when we try to make sense of things instead of simply obeying. God is calling us to surrender and walk in obedience, even when it doesn’t make sense.
Hard (definition): solid, firm, and rigid; not easily broken, bent, or pierced.
Tithing isn’t hard. What may be hard is your heart toward tithing. If that’s the case, ask God to soften your heart and make it pliable to His will.
I remember a time when I went to my esthetician for a service. While I was there, I clearly heard the Holy Spirit say, “Give her a large tip,” and He even told me the exact amount. My flesh responded, You’re not hearing that right, and I gave her what I had originally planned.
But before I could get into my car, the Holy Spirit prompted me again—stronger this time—“Give her what I told you.” I didn’t need to hear it a third time. I pulled out my phone and sent her the full amount via Venmo.
She immediately messaged me and asked, “Did you mean to do this?”
“Yes,” I replied, “God told me to give that to you.”
She later shared that it had been a very difficult month financially and that my gift was a true blessing from God.
I had almost missed an opportunity to be used by God—because of the posture of my heart. The truth is, none of this money belongs to us. It’s not ours! We’ve been entrusted to be stewards of His resources.
Satan has spread the lie that what we have belongs to us. That’s why we often feel entitled to do what we want with it, instead of what God says. But Jesus gave us a clear parable:
“The Lord said, ‘Who then is the faithful and sensible manager his master will put in charge of his household servants to give them their allotted food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom the master finds doing his job when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.’”
—Luke 12:42–44, ESV
Notice the scripture says the master puts the servant in charge of his possessions—not that the servant owns anything. That’s why when we leave this earth, everything stays behind. None of it belongs to us. We’re caretakers of what belongs to Him.
So when God gives us instructions, we must pray, cast down the lies of the enemy, and move forward with joy in obedience—knowing we are simply managing what is already His.
Key Takeaways:
You own nothing but your will.
Be an excellent caretaker so you can release whatever He asks of you.
The power to surrender comes through the Holy Spirit.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19; Isaiah 55:11
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