That was the exact question someone recently asked me.
Last week, I went to work briefly at a place, and while I was busy, an elderly man called me over. Here's how the conversation went:
Elderly man: Do you attend Redeemed Church?
Me: No, I don't, sir.
Elderly man: Oh, you look like someone who attends Redeemed. But the church you attend is also Pentecostal, right?
Me: Yes, sir.
Elderly man: Oh, so you also take your money to church and give it to a pastor? (He laughs.)
Me: (Smiling) No, sir. I know better.
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I'm writing this article for two main reasons: First, to caution those who take pleasure in mocking the people of God, and second, to reaffirm my stance on the issue of tithing.
It is wrong for those who don't attend church to assume that all churchgoers are foolish. Not every churchgoer is uninformed, so please be cautious. The fact that someone is committed to God doesn't mean they lack wisdom, and those who have no time for God are not necessarily the wise ones. In fact, the opposite is often true.
People attend church for various reasons. For someone like me, if you see me attending a local church, it’s not because I don’t understand the ways of God. Rather, as a minister of God myself, I need a place where my spiritual vessel can also be filled. It’s an act of humility—where I sit, not as a minister, but as a listener, free from the burden of sermon preparation, ready to learn and grow.
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Yes, it is true that many pastors have taken advantage of people’s ignorance for their own gain, exploiting them in the process.
While I condemn these pastors' actions, I also rebuke the laziness of many believers when it comes to learning. The Bible is available for everyone to read. We are not living in the Dark Ages (thank God), when the Bible wasn’t accessible. So, if I or any pastor tells you something, you have the opportunity to pick up the Bible, read it for yourself, and seek God’s guidance. If someone claims that paying 10% of your income is necessary to please God, read the Bible yourself and see that Christ has already paid the price for us to please God. We are not saved by our efforts, but by His grace.
One more point to consider is that even in churches where pastors are deceptive and exploitative, there are still people who tithe with a sincere heart, believing that it’s their way of supporting the church. God will bless them. In other words, the issue lies in the heart behind the giving.
The wrong heart is a transactional one, where you think that by giving a specific percentage of your income, God will bless you. Through Christ, God has already blessed you. If blessings were based on the size of our donations, then we’d be implying that the bigger the donation, the bigger the blessing. This would make God's blessings quantifiable by money, which is not true.
On the other hand, regardless of what your pastor does with the money or how he presents the message, if you give with a willing heart, God will bless you. Giving is a principle of financial breakthrough, not just a church tradition. The Bible says, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."
Forget about the 10%. Give as little or as much as you can, willingly and without complaining. If 1% is what you can comfortably give, then give 1%. If you can give 90%, do it cheerfully.
Give to your local church—they have expenses like power, sound systems, building maintenance, and rent. Give to your neighbors. Don’t let anyone who comes to you in need leave empty-handed. Even if you only have ₦5,000 and all you can spare is ₦500, give it—the person will appreciate it.
Giving is a principle of financial breakthrough, not a church tradition. God gave us His Son before the church was born in the Acts of the Apostles. If you can't give money, can you offer advice on how someone can improve their financial life? Can you connect them to opportunities or networks that might help them? Can you check in on them to see if they’ve found the help they need? There is always something you can give.
So, don’t let anyone discourage you. Don’t allow someone who disregards God's mercy to be used by Satan to block your source of blessings. Regardless of what a pastor does, if you give with the right mindset, God will surely bless you.
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