We have all been taught about tithing and the giving of “first fruits.” Though these concepts are not synonymous they are often used together to convey the idea of sharing a portion of our “income” or “wealth” with God and with respect to the “first fruits” -- those portions that we have received first. Tithe, itself, refers to ten percent (note –this had its roots in an agrarian society and often referred to 10 percent of a harvest). A common understanding today is that we should share ten percent of our income with God. I refer to this as a journey, since I suspect most tithers arrive at tithing through a series of steps in their life of faith, rather than a single step.
Most references to tithing in the Bible are found in the Old Testament. For example, Malachi 3:8-10 talks about “bringing the full tithe into the storehouse” and goes on to note how the Lord will “open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.”   There are numerous other references in the Old Testament but relatively few in the New Testament according to writers that have researched this topic. The most commonly cited verses come from Mark 23:23 and Luke 11:42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds, and neglect justice and the love of God; it is these you ought to have practiced, without neglecting the others.”
I found a couple rather thought-provoking articles on tithing. The first was a “Tithing Study Paper,” where-in Michael Morrison notes “God calls on us to examine ourselves, to examine our priorities, and be generous… A person who has faith in Jesus Christ does not worry about whether tithing is commanded in the New Testament. A person who is transformed by Christ to be more like Christ is generous. Such a person wants to give as much as possible to support the Gospel and to support needy members. Christians should give generously — but giving is a result of their relationship with God, not a way to earn it. We are given grace through faith, not through tithing.”  The complete article may be found at http://www.wcg.org/lit/law/tithing.htm .
A second article by Tyler S. Ramey shares a slightly different view on tithing. He examines directives for tithing in the Old Testament and contrasts them with the relative lack of directives in the New Testament. That article may be found on the web at http://www.inplainsite.org/html/tithing.html
At Living Waters our congregation has long embraced the concept of percentage giving – with the idea of trying to increase ones giving by one percent each year – with a goal of eventually reaching a “tithe” or beyond. For many this represents a journey. Not so much a physical journey; rather a spiritual journey that is often combined with the realities faced on a day-to-day basis.  That was the case with our family where a combination of events (and a long journey) led us to tithing.
What’s right for your family? That is not up to me or the church to say; however, I hope this article has caused you to consider that the journey to tithing is a journey you and your family may want to take.