Tithing vs. Stewardship

Question: What is the difference between tithing and stewardship?

Answer: Both tithing and stewardship are part of a spiritual way of life that calls us to use all of our resources for the service of the Gospel. Everything we are and everything we have comes from God. Offering back to God what He has given us is part of how we worship and give thanks to God.

Tithing is the practice of giving back 10 percent of what we earn. It comes from the Old English word for “ten.” The first Scriptural example of tithing came from Abraham who gave a tenth of his possessions to the priest Melchizedek. He did so as an act of thanksgiving to God.

Stewardship as a way of life calls us to use well all that we have and all that we are, placing all things in service of others and God. Stewardship helps us see the good we can accomplish by making God and our spiritual life the most important values in our life. Whatever we accumulate in this life stays here. We can’t take it with us! Both tithing and stewardship help us remember that nothing is mine or even ours … all belongs to God.