10 Stewardship Questions

10 Stewardship Questions10 Stewardship Questions
José R. FigueroaJosé R. Figueroa
August, 2013August, 2013
www.figueroafinancial.comwww.figueroafinancial.com

1. Does God need my Money?1. Does God need my Money?
Not at all. The testimony of Scripture is
very clear: God is the Creator of the
world and as such He is the owner of
everything in it including you and me.
Our position is merely one of asset
managers or stewards. We have been
given a responsibility as administrators of
what God owns (
Psalm 24:1; 1 Chronicles 29:14-15; Haggai 2:8; Acts 17:24-26
).
We don’t give to do God a favor. We do it
as an acknowledgment of His position as
owner of it all.August, 2013 210 Stewardship Questions - www.figueroafinancial.com

2. How can I give when I don’t have
enough to meet my monthly necessities?
That is a very good question. Many households live
pay-check to pay-check and the recent recession
has left some families in a very difficult position.
However, I think that regardless of your particular
situation, you should develop the habit of giving
something. What matters here is
the obedience from the heart to God’s principles
and not so much the amount.
There is of course the element of faith in this
process, as we give even when we think we won’t
have enough to cover the basics with what is left.
Remember that God is the Great Provider and He
will always honor obedience which is your faith put
into action (Philippians 4:19).
August, 2013 310 Stewardship Questions - www.figueroafinancial.com

3. Are we commanded to give to the church?3. Are we commanded to give to the church?
Aren’t we in the age of Grace?Aren’t we in the age of Grace?
I certainly think so. The Bible is very clear that
the members of the assembly were to give from
their increase to support the ministry.
In Old Testament times the tithes were intended
to support the priests and the Temple, and in the
New Testament, giving was intended to support
the work of the local church (
Malachi 3:10; I Corinthians 9:8-10).
When the members of the assembly fail to give,
the mission of the church is affected. Biblical
stewardship is not a salvation issue nor is it a way
to gain God’s favor. He loves you and me and His
love is not subject to our performance. However,
I do think that giving is a reflection of
a grateful heart.

4. If I am not a member of a church,4. If I am not a member of a church,
should I still tithe?should I still tithe?
The short answer is yes. As a Christian,
you should be part of a local
congregation to commit yourself to
a place of fellowship and service.
However, you might have moved or you
are now looking for the best place for
your family.
My advice is to give the tithe to your
current church. If you don’t have one,
then give to support the work of the
churches that you visit.
10%

5.5. But isn’t tithing an Old Testament concept?
And, why 10%? Why not 9% or 11%?
Let’s first define tithe. This simply means
the 10% and it is consistently used in
Scripture (
Genesis 28:22; Deuteronomy 26:12; Matthew 23:23
).
So 10% is really God’s idea. In my opinion
this is only the starting point of
obedience. God is not only interested in
the 10% but in how we manage the other
90%.
So it is not a legalistic requirement but a
place to begin obeying the command.

6. Ok, let’s say I agree about the tithe. Should6. Ok, let’s say I agree about the tithe. Should
I give it from my gross income or my takeI give it from my gross income or my take
home (net) income?home (net) income?
This is a very common question
among those who practice tithing.
My own perspective is that it should
come from the gross as Scripture
indicates to honor God with
your first fruits (Proverbs 3:9).
Also, taxes are taken off the top and
I have decided that I won’t give to
God any less than I give to Caesar.

7.7. Can I consider my donations to other
charities part of my tithe?
My opinion is that these
donations fall under the category
of offerings which are given
from surplus and are separate
from the tithe.
The tithe should be focused on
supporting the local church. Any
other offerings would be on top
of that.

8.8. At what age should a person begin to tithe?
First of all, I believe children
should be taught how to handle
money. This should include the
concept of pay for work (e.g, from
doing chores).
As they earn money, they should
learn the concepts of spending,
saving, and giving. As they get
older, I would say tithing begins as
a regular income is established.

9.9. Let’s say I get an inheritance. Do I need to
give a tithe out of that?
My understanding is that we are
commanded to give as
our income grows from our work
(2 Cor 8: 9-13).
An inheritance would fall under
the category of a gift so I would
probably not tithe out of that.
However, I think if you want to
tithe or give to be a blessing to
your church that’s fine too. You
can never out-give God.

10.10. What’s in it for me?
This is the best part. First, you will get to
experience the joy of giving. God is the great
Giver and He has given His best to us.
When we give, we are simply emulating our
Heavenly Father. Second, when you support the
work of your church, you get to participate in the
great adventure of doing God’s work. Finally,
when you give to help others, you put love and
compassion into action
The purpose of getting your money management
under control, the purpose of building wealth is
so you can share the blessings with others. Trust
me, it is better to give than to receive (
Acts 20:35).

“God is a God of grace. His
grace provides strength to
earn, generosity to give,
and humility to receive.”
Dr. David Jeremiah

About the AuthorAbout the Author
José R. Figueroa is a Personal Finance
Coach/Blogger @ Figueroa Financial:
Help and Hope for Your Finances.
He is also the author of the e-books
7 Principles for Financial Success and
Not Mine, Not Yours, But Ours now
available @ Amazon.

Figueroa Financial: Contact InformationFigueroa Financial: Contact Information
Website: www.figueroafinancial.com
e-mail: jose.figueroa310@gmail.com
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10 Stewardship Questions

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10 Stewardship Questions