The Spiritual Law of Tithing

If you’ve ever wondered why you are still poor when you are doing everything ‘right’, then maybe you need to look at the spiritual laws that govern prosperity. According to Edwene Gaines, author of The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity, these are tithing, forgiveness, passion and planning. In this article we will focus on TITHING.

What is tithing? Every religion has some version of this. In Judaism and Christianity, it’s giving 10% of any money you receive back to God. Tithes, offerings and first-fruits were originally given in kind (as grain, animals, fruit, etc.) to support the priests at the temple, who were praying for the whole nation and everyone in it. With the rise of the Church, tithing became enforced by law to keep the church and its hierarchy going. Now that Church and State are separated, individual churches encourage but cannot legally force their congregations to tithe. As more people opt for spiritual growth outside organized religion, we tithe to the individuals or organizations who provide us with spiritual nourishment – those who support our spiritual growth or remind us of who we are.

Why tithe? Firstly, because it’s spiritual law. That’s why so many religions tell you to do it – not just because their priests need to be fed, clothed and housed! Tithing engages the universal laws of flow, receiving and reciprocity. It forms a connection between your individual life and the universal flow of abundance.

Secondly, tithing it tells the universe that you trust prosperity is coming to you. It says, “I have so much coming in that I can easily and cheerfully give back 10% back into circulation.” It keeps your focus on prosperity rather than poverty, abundance rather than lack. And of course, whatever you focus on expands in your life. In this respect, tithing opens the valve controlling the flow into your life.

Tithing is also a way of giving thanks to God, and we all know that gratitude is a great way to encourage more and larger gifts. According to the prophet Malachi, it opens the windows of heaven, so that blessings can pour into your life. (Malachi 3:10) In my experience, consistent tithing automatically brings an equally steady increase in the money flowing into my life. If a client doesn’t have financial flow, tithing is the first thing I recommend.

So how do you tithe, if you don’t go to church or have a regular teacher who is giving you spiritual instruction? That one’s easy: you tithe to whatever person or organization IS assisting your spiritual growth. This can be your teacher, doctor, neighbor, child, or even the friendly waitress who reminds you of who you are, as Edwene describes in her book. It can be a different person or organization every time, so long as it’s someone who is assisting your spiritual growth.

Be consistent with your tithing if you want God to bless you consistently. There are a couple of tithing techniques, and all are equally valid:

1. Edwene Gaines keeps a notebook that she uses to write down all the money coming into her life. She also makes a note of when she writes someone a tithing check. Then, as she comes across someone who gives her spiritual food, she immediately gives that person a check for 10% of the amount she has received since the last tithing check.

2. If you receive a regular paycheck, it’s easiest to set up a standing order that automatically pays 10% to the teacher or organization of your choice.

3, If, like me, you have a variable income, you might like to tithe this way: at the end of every week, I add up the money that has come my way, and I transfer 10% of that into a separate bank account that I keep just for tithing. At the beginning of each month, I write a check for the accumulated amount, and send it to my teacher (unless I am directed otherwise for that month).

Here are some other points that Edwene mentions in The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity (which I urge you to read and practice). Keep in mind that tithing is different from charitable giving. Tithing is giving that first 10% back to God, in appreciation of spiritual teaching. Charitable giving is a good thing, too, but it comes after tithing, not instead of tithing. When you tithe, you do not get to tell the recipient what to do with that money; it’s up to them. Finally, tithing doesn’t take the place of paying for goods or services. If you tithe to a teacher who also works on you, you still get to pay their regular fee. Imagine that your car mechanic says something that really touches you spiritually; you still have to pay him for changing the oil in your car!

So there you have the first of the four spiritual laws of prosperity, which are tithing, forgiveness, passion and planning. Try those four spiritual laws for three months, and see how quickly your income goes up!