Taxes, Tithes, and Personal Funds

Romans 13:6-7 instructs Christians to attend to finances in this manner: to pay taxes, revenue, respect, and honor to whom each is owed.

We hustle to cover mortgage payments, daily living expenses, and the unplanned events in life. With all that, it’s easy to forget about giving unto Caesar and giving unto God. It’s even more likely individuals forget that God has given them gifts for the purpose of enjoyment.

Why Pay Taxes?

Trying to catch Jesus in a statement that would cause him trouble with Rome, the Pharisees asked him whether it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar. Jesus quickly drew a distinction between Caesar and God. He pointed out that taxes were owed to Caesar based on the financial laws of the times, and should be paid.

The same holds true today no matter where you live. Taxes are levied under the current law, regardless of how you feel about them. You must pay taxes to avoid financial and legal troubles. In many cases, taxes also serve a positive purpose. They help build infrastructure and support public programs.

Mixed feelings aside, taxes should never come as a surprise. It’s important to use good money management techniques to budget for taxes throughout the year. This will help you avoid an unnecessary struggle when tax bills come due.

The Importance of Tithes

A commonly held belief amongst Christians is this message of 10% being needed as a tithe. While this is certainly a wonderful amount to give, it may or may not be right for you. 2 Corinthians 9:7 says that each person must make the decisions about what he gives in his own heart. God doesn’t want gifts that come under compulsion, and God certainly doesn’t need an even ten percent from your paycheck. God doesn’t actually need anything from you at all.

However, the church is a physical building, and the congregation is a physical body. Both of which require financial support. Tithes help pay church staff, fund programs, maintain the church building, care for children during service, and provide outreach to the community. If you attend church regularly, you benefit from all these things. It’s only right to pay into the support of the ministry.

A fundamental difference between Christian personal finance and other secular money management techniques is the incorporating tithing in our budget. Our Christian debt relief services never ask you not to give to your church. With the right approach, even individuals on a limited budget can afford to tithe. We’ll help you find ways to do so.

Balance in Personal Budgets

There are several Bible verses used to condemn money and the enjoyment of wealth. However, God doesn’t give us good gifts and then demand we ignore them. Ecclesiastes 5:19 says, “when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them,” those things are a gift from God and the person should be happy with their circumstances. That certainly doesn’t mean ignoring other financial responsibilities—including taxes and tithes. But it does mean that you don’t have to feel guilty about occasional splurges or the enjoyment of your money.

Approaching personal finances from a balanced perspective ensures you’re responsible with funds, paying bills, taxes, and tithes, before you enjoy the gifts of God and fruits of your labor.