The irony of the tithe is that it is actually God’s gift to us. When Jesus says “It is better to give than to receive” he isn’t trying to twist our arms to give. He’s telling us something that is true. So when God asks us to give, he is commanding something that is good. So the question arises, where and how are we supposed to worship God as we give? Can I give financially to God during the week, sitting at my computer, or should it be done with physical cash or check as a part of Sunday worship?
On the one hand, most transactions in today’s world are electronic. Very few transactions today are limited to happening exclusively in either cash or check. However, we are physical beings and worship is a physical act. By giving electronically, we may lose something that God intended for us to feel as we physically let go of our offering during corporate worship.
When the Bible addresses the subject of giving (tithes and offerings), it is generally concerned with the heart of the giver, not the method of the gift. So the issue of online tithes seems to be a question of what is most beneficial, not what is permissible. And so the following questions may be helpful for us to think through as we decide how to worship and obey God in our giving of tithes and offerings:
- Online giving can be an act of worship, but is it for you? Do you give at your computer prayerfully, with thanksgiving and joy, or does it feel exactly like paying a bill?
- The physical act of giving, much like physically drinking wine and eating bread during Communion, is intended to give us a sensory experience of deep truth. Does online giving cause you to miss out on that experience? If so, would it help to bring a dollar bill each Sunday as a placeholder for your online gift so that you can still perform the physical act during worship?
- Jesus asked his followers to do many things that were counter-cultural, impractical and inconvenient. Would the discipline of having to find your checkbook or withdraw cash as preparation for worship be helpful to your walk with Jesus?
- Is your giving inconsistent? Do you tend to give God the left-over fruits instead of the first fruits? Would a scheduled online transaction be a significant act of faith for you?
The Bible teaches that worship is both a general attitude and a specific act. We can worship God anywhere, any day of the week, in any part of life. But there is also a command to set apart a specific day for worship and the specific act of coming together as a community for worship. The question of whether to give online or during Sunday worship is worth wrestling over because it could expose new opportunities to see financial giving as a deep, faith-stretching act of worship to the One who owns our very souls.
If, after prayerfully considering these questions, you’d like to make your tithes online, you can do so at Grace DC Online