Defining Tithing of Yourself

Luke 18:12 is a verse in one of Jesus' parables, and this particular verse speaks of the tithe, or tenth, of one's income. The real meaning behind the law not only includes tithing of your money, but also of your time, body, and talent.

God doesn't need your money. He doesn't really fully depend on humans for anything. The purpose of any tithe is giving back to God a portion of what he has given to you.

When it comes to monetary donations, remember you can give to worthwhile organizations in addition to your local church, but don't neglect your local church. There is always the question of before or after taxes - where does the tithe come from. The tithe is the first tenth - the best tenth - sounds to me like it is before taxes.

Tithing also includes your time and talents and many other things that you can give God, besides your money. Each one of us needs to invest our time, body and talents wisely, and give some of it (at least 10%) to God. This can include volunteering at your local church, lots of Bible reading and prayer, and filling your mind with good things from sources such as Christian music, books, TV shows and radio programs.

Give God some of your time in exchange for all of the blessings He has given you. Oh, and don't just stop with the tithe, go beyond that with the additional giving that is the true definition of offering and sacrifice. Point is, give God as much of your life as possible because He is the one that gave you that life to begin with.