In God We Trust?

I was a church marriage workshop with my wife earlier this week, and the subject was managing finances. This included, determining spending (and saving) styles, creating a budget, and tithing (a.k.a. God’s cut). Yes, those first fruits. That first ten percent of one’s income

When the bishop began the budget breakdown. We all agreed that the first fruits should be tithes. However, someone (of course) brought up the fact that Uncle Sam gets its share (if you are an employee) before you see any of it. The reasoning of the individual was that the ten percent would come after taxes.

It seemed a logical premise to me at the time. Yesterday after listening to a podcast sermon from another church a visit periodically, I got the message. The pastor put it plain. One’s tithes come out of gross income. Simple.

I thought about it all last night and this morning. Then I began to think about scripture. Specifically, when Jesus is asked about taxes. Give what is God’s to God, and what is Caesar’s to Caesar. After which, I remembered that in biblical times there was no Internal Revenue Service. There were no paychecks from which taxes where deducted. Tax collectors came a calling to get the government’s share (think: someone who’s self-employed). So taxes were paid after income was earned and collected by the individual.

With this insight I realized I had been helping Uncle Sam short-change God, by tithing out of net income. So starting Sunday, I will repent and truly give that which is God’s to God.