Friends of God
By Terance Clark October 10, 2025 8 Minute Read
Week 54
This Weeks Passage: Deuteronomy 11:26 – 16:17
(Note: This is part 5 of a 5 part series on giving through tithing from the passages found in Deuteronomy 11-16. If you missed the first four please go back and read starting at #47 as it will provide context. You can find the link below.)
I’d like to begin this week by saying this teaching on tithing is rooted in my desire to see healing and freedom come to all those who love the Lord and desire to give from a heart of love and passion. I don’t have an axe to grind. I’m not looking to discredit anyone, I’m not angry or bitter, So why am I doing it? Because It’s frustrating talking to people who think they are cursed because they’re not giving what their preacher has told them to give and I really believe that when we truly get back to what the scriptures teach about giving we will see an abundance flow in that can truly change the world.
Rabbi’s and Synagogue leaders did not receive tithes from the people. The only ones who qualified for receiving tithes were the priests that worked in the temple in Jerusalem and remember tithes were crops not money. So all the leaders throughout Israel and around the world typically had to find their own means of support and that usually meant they worked real jobs like everyone else. When a building was built it was paid for through the support of the community of believers. Today 60% – 70% of money received are spent on salaries and buildings. That leaves very little left for doing the actual work of ministry. So, with all that said what should tithing really be? I’m glad you asked, lets finish this series on what tithing is really meant to be and how you can change your life through biblical tithing.
We are Partners with God
Way back at the beginning, Gods plan was to have relationship with man. A partnership of cultivating and changing the world together. It was to be intimate and personal, a man or woman with their God walking through life with His direction, love and protection. Each one of us has a unique gifting and calling and part of life is learning how to lean into our Father to learn how to express these gifts in the way He has created each of us to do it. It requires prayer and learning and even making mistakes along the way, but then re-focusing back on our purpose. It has been found over and over again that one of the biggest challenges to people in the west is we have lost our purpose. In the church only 1 in 100 people know their purpose and only 1 in 100,000 is actually doing it. This is a huge miss and can account for so many issues that are occurring.
A lot of this begins with the fact that we have been told over and over that it’s the collective unit of all of us that makes a difference. That message isn’t quite accurate and it sounds something like this… The church is the agent through whom God is working to change the world. The idea is that we have to be part of a church and tithe, and follow their plan for reaching others, and yes I do believe being connecting to a body of believers is a good thing, But, the bible says that God partners with us individually as we give our lives completely to him and yes when we come together as a group great things can happen, but truthfully God changed the world through disciples and apostles who traveled in pairs of two not whole congregations. What I’m trying to say is that we have to know who we are in Christ, and we have to know what God has put in us and what we’re called to do. It’s not that the group isn’t important its just that if we don’t know who we are, the group will not help us. There are some things that we have to get directly from God.
Giving Must be Personal and Passionate
Our giving must come out of our individual relationship with God. It’s meant to be like a piece of our own heart and soul being given away. I’ve heard pastors say just give without thinking about it, but that is a problem. If you’re not giving it from the depths of your soul it really isn’t a tithe. God created the tithe to be an extension of who you are. We’re supposed to think about it and pray about it and give towards something your passionate about so that you will connect to it. That’s why passing a plate around will never see the results like those when people are asked to participate. In fact, studies have shown that people give less to needs and they give far more to vision. That’s why when God created tithing He placed it around vision. The vision for helping others and seeing the difference it was making in the lives of people and He gave people options who to give to and how to celebrate the gifts together.
“When God created tithing he placed it around vision“
You and I must find a way to give towards the things God has put into our spirit that aligns with the calling of our life. It is about making a difference and changing your part of the world through helping others and there are so many passages in scripture that highlight this, but are overlooked because the word has not always been translated as tithe, but that is exactly what it is. I’ll take time over the next year to share some of these words and highlight some of these passages. What is important to understand is tithing is your way to give out of gratitude and thankfulness for all God has given to you. You and I get to share a small portion to others that celebrate the joy you feel for what God is doing in you, but in hopes that those who receive from you will also be encouraged and blessed by what God has given to them through you. That is why everyone can tithe irregardless of how much you have.
Friends of God
At the end of the day, only those who truly are thankful can give with hearts of joy and passion. The scripture is clear that love and giving are the same and when we can’t give it’s an indication of what is really going on inside of our heart. I bless you to be free of judgment and opinion. Don’t worry about what others think, follow your heart and let the Lord direct you to give to be a blessing and watch how He not only lightens your heart, but you’ll find yourself praying for more so that you can give more away. Abraham was called the friend of God not because he had great faith, but because he came to aid anyone and everyone who was in need. He was a friend to all and a true giver, that is the heart of God, go and do likewise for we are called to be partners, we are to extend His kingdom upon the earth, we are the friends of God!
