United News Weekly

President's Letter

Tithing: A Test of Faith and Trust

A member recently shared an interesting story about a visit to their doctor. The doctor announced to everyone in his office, “If you feel like you don’t have enough money, start tithing and suddenly you will have enough!” This is definitely not advice you usually hear from a doctor! Tithing isn’t a financial formula or a guaranteed way to get out of debt. But the doctor made a good point. When you put God first by tithing, it helps set your priorities straight, and that can influence other parts of your life, like how you spend and handle debt. God does bless those who trust and obey Him, even if the blessings don’t come in the way or at the time you expect.

A young adult close to me who had grown up in the Church left abruptly and joined the military, abandoning God’s way of life. Except for one thing—he kept tithing to our church. He did so not because he wanted to, but because financial blessings ceased whenever he stopped tithing. As years went by, he eventually got married to a sweet young lady. His new wife, while examining their finances, was horrified to discover that her husband was giving 10 percent of their income to a church he never attended! “But I have to,” he tried to explain. “But you don’t do anything else that the church teaches,” she responded. So, he stopped tithing, and their financial situation collapsed. “You see, I have to tithe,” he lamented. “Then you probably should be doing more than that, or you’re a hypocrite.” That prompted further discussion and eventually led them into the Church, where they serve as pillars today. The lasting blessing of this experience was far more than financial; it helped lead them to a fuller commitment to God.

As economic systems rattle, how are your finances holding up? Most of us are trying to keep our heads above water between paychecks, and things are tight. An unexpected high tide of expenses could push us underwater financially. Under that pressure, we might be tempted to stop tithing altogether or to “borrow” from our growing festival tithe savings account. But those financial pressures bring us face-to-face with an important question: Will we continue to put God first and trust Him, even when it’s difficult?

And here is something remarkable: God Himself challenges us to honor Him and trust His promises. “‘Put me to the test in this right now,’ says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies” (Malachi 3:10, International Standard Version). Malachi gives a sobering warning about withholding what belongs to God: “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation” (Malachi 3:8-9).

No one is an exception to His rule. God’s command to tithe deserves our faithful obedience. He promises to bless those who honor Him, but those blessings may come in different ways and at different times. Financial difficulties do not necessarily indicate a lack of faithfulness, as even those who diligently obey God can experience trials. We each need to manage our income, expenses and budget wisely.

When we find ourselves in financial difficulty and discover that we have missed paying tithes, a dilemma arises. How can we repay missed tithes when there’s not enough in the account? The answer begins with putting God first, making a sincere effort to correct the situation and trusting Him as we work through our financial responsibilities. This is where faith in God comes in, as He says, “‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it’” (verse 10).

There’s also a practical side to this that I’ve experienced personally. Like many of you, I have my tithes set up as automatic payments, while offerings can be given through the online “Give” portal. It’s convenient, and everything usually works smoothly. But occasionally, payment systems change, security updates interfere or cards expire, and a payment doesn’t go through as expected.

I recently discovered that one of our Holy Day offerings had not been fully processed. I hadn’t realized it, but the offering I intended to give had never actually been completed. Once I discovered the problem, I was able to correct it.

It’s a good reminder for all of us to check our tithing and offering records periodically to make sure everything has gone through as intended. After all, faithful obedience includes following through on what we intend to give to God. Since early childhood, I have experienced a myriad of blessings as I’ve sought to honor God with my tithes and offerings. Incredible opportunities like baptism, being led by God’s Spirit, relationships, travel, jobs and properties have opened like windows of heaven. I am deeply grateful for them.

These blessings remind me that everything we have ultimately comes from God. Our tithes are not simply another expense in our budgets; they belong to Him. As Leviticus 27:30 reminds us: “And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD’s. It is holy to the LORD.” What is an appropriate tithe? To whom does God say His tithes should be given? God’s instructions for tithing to Him properly can be read in UCG’s Fundamental Beliefs and in our study aid, What Does the Bible Teach About Tithing?

To maximize all of God’s blessings, both spiritual and physical, let’s all double down in striving to obey God in all things (Deuteronomy 28), including tithing from the increase of our labors. May God continue to bless you abundantly as you strive to obey Him.

John Elliott | President, United Church of God

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There’s still time to submit your proposal for Good Works projects for the first half of the 2027 calendar year! If you have a great idea for a project (local or abroad), please run it by your local pastor, and with his approval, please contact Lena VanAusdle at GoodWorks@ucg.org or visit ucg.org/good-works for more information. The deadline for proposals is Nov. 30, 2026.

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