How Much Do I Tithe When I Don't Have Enough to Pay My Bills?
Tithing is the practice of giving a percentage of your income to another individual or agency. Usually, tithing most often is associated with churches. For those whose incomes are sufficient, tithing usually isn't difficult. When you have debt and can't afford to pay your bills, however, tithing becomes a problem.
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The General Tithe Amount
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In general, the recommended tithe amount is 10 percent. For Christians, this recommendation has foundations in the Old Testament of the Bible in the story of Abraham paying a tithe to Melchizedek.
Paying Less than 10 Percent
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Some Christians argue that it is acceptable to pay less than the usual 10 percent for a tithe. They assert that, because God wants people to honor their contracts and promises, they should pay service providers, creditors and lenders as agreed, paying less than 10 percent or not tithing at all. Under this argument, paying less than 10 percent shows you are taking responsibility for your debts, and God, who has no immediate need for your funds, can wait until you are financially more stable for you to tithe.
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Paying No Less than 10 Percent
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Some Christians believe that you always should tithe 10 percent according to traditional law. These Christians argue that having debt doesn't excuse you from the law. They also argue that God rewards based on faith, and that God will help you get the money you need to pay your debts if you give a portion of your money to God first.
The Bottom Line
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If you have debt, you can tithe as much or as little as you want, although the standard tithe is 10 percent. Because the commands to honor your debts and give a portion to God both stand, the decision regarding how much to tithe depends on which command you logically and emotionally feel most compelled to follow. To follow both commands, you may need to readjust your budget or take advantage of debt reduction/elimination techniques like interest negotiation, refinancing and consolidation. Importantly, creditors and lenders aren't necessarily faith-based---in fact, many creditors and lenders are prohibited from discriminating against applicants based on religion. They likely won't accept your religious convictions as an excuse for your account delinquencies.
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References
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