Taste the Rainbow

"And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people." 2 Corinthians 8:1-4

"What do Skittles have to do with tithes?" That was the caption underneath a video about tithing. In the video, a pastor was using Skittles candies to illustrate his belief about tithing. He had purchased some Skittles and gave a bag to his grandchild. While his grandchild was sleeping, the pastor opened the bag of Skittles he had given to him and started to eat them. The grandchild would wake up and say, "Papi, don't eat up all my Skittles, I want some for tomorrow." This went on a few times when the pastor replied, "I bought you the Skittles. So, technically, they are my Skittles and not your Skittles. And if I eat up all your Skittles, I can buy some more Skittles tomorrow." Without missing a beat he turned to the congregation and said, "Many of us don't get it as well. Because many of us tell God the same thing when it gets close to offering time if we remain then. We tell God, 'Don't eat up all my Skittles God, I want some for tomorrow." He went on to say there are 61 individual Skittles in a particular bag. "That means what God asks of us, the ten percent, is [6 Skittles] and He leaves us with [the remaining 55] Skittles." He ends his illustration by saying, "If you would trust God with the Skittles He asks for, He will [opening up an enormous bag of Skittles and emptying the contents into a small cup, overwhelming the cup and pouring Skittles all over the table and on to the floor] open up the windows of Heaven, [He] will pour you out a blessing that you will not have room enough to receive (see Malachi 3:10)." Of course, this generated a lot of discussion under the video, much of it in agreement with the pastor. I offered my rebuttal of the video, saying that we aren't under the Law, how we can't tithe anyway and aren't commanded to do so. This led to a small dispute between me and other Christians about tithing. However, all that aside, there was something peculiar about some of the responses in favor of tithing. One commenter wrote, "Where do you think money to help pay bills for the poor comes from, keep utilities on in the church, pay for funerals of families that didn't bother to have insurance? Programs that benefits the members and the community?" (sic) Another commenter said, "It's a little funny to me that the people that don't wanna give find every excuse not to give." Then there was this, "Now when one doesn't (tithe), pls believe God has a way of getting it! So give willingly, or you'll give it when something in the house or something dealing with your vehicle breaks down!!! #Bet" (sic). What is peculiar is the motivation behind why people want to give. Look at the list put out; paying the bills of the poor, their funeral expenses, helping keep the lights on in the church, funding community outreach, assuming those that don't "tithe" don't give, and that God is going to inflict suffering in your life to make you give up your money.

The question that needs to be asked of these "tithing" supporters is, "If you didn't believe God commanded you to tithe, would you be motivated to give at all?" Unbelievers give their money to the organizations and charities they support. They don't believe in God at all, yet are motivated to give. What this makes me think is that there is no heart change in these people. When your heart is into something, you will find a way to financially support it as well as giving your time and energy to it. Furthermore, if you are giving because you are afraid that something terrible is going to happen to you if you don't is a form of extortion. It is as if God is a heavenly mob boss that demands His protection money or else He will send His goons over to harm you, your loved ones, or your property. 1 John 4:18 says, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." If you are afraid of God, you aren't being loved by Him, and you are motivated by the wrong emotion. Your motivation is self-preservation not the well-being of others or your church, no matter what you say to mask it. In his second letter to the Corinthian church, Paul applauded them for their willingness to give. In 2 Corinthians 8, he specifically says, "they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own ..." For him to point to the fact that they gave what they were able, beyond their ability and entirely on their own, shows that they were motivated by love and a changed heart not in response to a command that made them do it. Also, they did not give out of fear that God was going to punish them either. In fact, Paul says that they gave despite being in poverty. Based on the earlier comment about God "getting" His money, you would be tempted to believe that their poverty was a punishment of God for not giving. Instead, out of their heartfelt desire to give, they gave in spite of their poverty. This falls right in line with what many say is the way Christians are to give. In 2 Corinthians 9:7, Paul wrote, "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." A cheerful giver is a person that gives what they can and does so from the heart. There is no percentage required and no threat of punishment for not giving. Even if you cannot give that is okay. God will get His work accomplished. When you have the means, you can give later. A person who is motivated to give out of compulsion is someone who is forced to give regardless of how they feel about it. That is not a description of someone operating out of love, but out of fear. Skittles has a tagline that says, "Taste the Rainbow." It is referring to the variety of colors and flavors of their candies. While Christians like this pastor and his supporters are busy trying to "taste the rainbow" of God's blessings through their giving performance, they are missing out on a relationship with the God who made Skittles. They want God's blessing more than God Himself and may experience neither.