In the course of being active in the local church and studying and attaining Associate Degrees in Pastoral Counseling and Theology, I became convinced that the teaching - "you can tithe your way out of debt" is a false teaching. Sadly, it is pervasive in the church today.

Now, it is not my intention to upset the church. I am not a radical by any means. But, I believe there is no scripture that justifies this, NO, not even Malachi.

In fact, much of the church teaches Malachi incorrectly by not quoting the entire passage on tithing. They leave out its beginning where Malachi quotes God as saying - "you have gone away from mine ordinances". The word "ordinances", according to Strong's Concordance, means "laws". And, as Paul said -" He (Jesus) released us from the curse of the law".

This teaching, that you can tithe your way out of debt, or, to put it another way they teach it, "you can't out give God", has ruined many Christian families.

We had an evangelist come to our church and teach "Do you want a better house? Give yours away and God will give you a better house!" One woman in the church actually put her wedding ring in the plate because she was so far in debt she had no money to give. She would have been better off pawning the ring for cash and putting it towards a debt! You can imagine, her husband was not at all pleased! The Pastor had enough sense to give her back the ring.

Get this - if you are giving to get, you will be disappointed and go broke!

Jesus taught a lot about money. He taught that we should be good stewards of God's money. He taught that we should be smart investors of God's money. He taught that we should pay our taxes - "render unto Caesar what is Caesar's". And, Proverbs tells us - "neither a borrower nor a lender be".

The Bible is full of advice about money, debt, work, and responsibility. Unfortunately, most Christians dont read it and study it. They would rather take the word of some evangelist because it sounds good and they are desperate!

A fellow Christian once said to me - "I tithe faithfully but God is not blessing me. I can't figure it out."

I answered - "Well, maybe it's because you spend $50.00 a week going to a massage parlor and another $20.00 a week on beer. That's $70.00 a week you could be giving to God's work."

You see, I believe God does not look at how much you give. He looks at your heart, your motive for giving. He looks at what you do with the money he has put into your hands. There are many scriptures to support this. Take some time and read the book of James. It's a short and powerful book.

Because of Malachi, many people believe that all we need to do is give God 10% ("tithe means 10%) plus an offering above the tithe amount and we have met God's law. But, we are no longer under the law, remember?

You might say to me - "Jim, I don't have any money to give". Well, I would say to you - actually, you do. Here's my 4 step formula to get you out of debt and financially blessed.

1) You must pay off your debts,especially, if you are a Christian. If you are a deadbeat, what does this say to non-Christians? Get a second job if you have to. But, get out of debt! Get Christian Credit Counseling if necessary. Get out of debt!

2) Give what you can for now. Even one-dollar! Give it cheerfully!

3) Don't give to be blessed. Give with the idea you are helping the work of the church or organization getting your donation. God will take care of you automatically. He knows what you need in the way of finances.

4) Stop squandering God's money. Spend on what you need, not on what you want.

In my own life, once my wife and I understood Malachi, our financial situation changed dramatically for the better. We ask the Holy Spirit how much we should give, ignoring the 10% rule. Sometimes it's more than 10%, sometimes it's less than 10%, sometimes it's zero.

Ever since my wife and I have been giving this way, most of our debts are gone, our bank account has grown, and, best of all, our needs are always met. Now, you likely have a Mortgage or pay Rent, maybe a car payment, you have to put food on the table, buy clothing, pay Doctor bills, etc. These are debts that almost everyone must incur. Beyond these, always ask yourself, Do we need this or just want this? This simple question will get you out of debt faster than any budget plan devised by man. And, it will keep you out of debt!

You will be blessed.