Can my tithe include financial help given to friends and family in need?
No. The tithe (10% of your income) belongs to God and is given back to Him as an act of obedience and worship (Malachi 3:8-10). Beyond that, we are also supposed to be sensitive to the needs of others around us (James 2:15-16). We are also instructed to care for those closest to us. 1 Timothy 5:8 says a “man who does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” Matthew 6:1-4 talks about giving to the needy. This is something we should do without trumpeting our actions before others.
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- Can my tithe include financial help given to friends and family in need?