Keep in mind that all of your money and all of your possessions belong to God. He has poured out His blessing on you by entrusting you with whatever material wealth you have, whether you have a little or a lot. You are an account manager, a steward, for God’s resources. The material things you legally own have been given to you so that you may take care of yourself and your family, and also so that you may give generously to support the Church and to love your neighbor.
The love of money leads to evil. Money itself is not evil. Be watchful that what you own does not gain ownership over you. Maintain authority over your possessions by using what you have been given wisely. Regard financial success as a divine blessing that involves responsibility. Keep a spiritual perspective and do good with what you have so that your desire to hold on to your wealth and to gain more possessions does not control you. Whether you are rich, middle class, or poor, stay vigilant and stand against the enslaving passions of envy and greed.
The acts of thankfully offering a portion of what God has given you back to Him through His Church and of giving alms for the sake of your fellow human beings is part of the ascetic aspect of the Way. In other words, generous sacrificial financial giving in a spirit of faith, thanksgiving, and love, is an important part of the spiritual therapy your soul needs. The act of giving helps you fight against the delusional attachment to the temporary things of this world, while providing a method for you to give thanks to God, express love to others, and invest in the future eternal heavenly kingdom.
The practice of tithing, that is, a proportional offering of 10% of one’s income to your parish, is encouraged as the ideal minimal standard. In many countries, where the support of the priest and the operation of the parish depends on the regular, sustainable support of the members of that parish, the practice of tithing remains an effective practical approach. This standard should not be approached legalistically. Like the practice of fasting, the act of giving is both something we do together as Orthodox Christians and also something each of us does individually as an expression of faith and love with joy and gladness.
Read: Genesis 14.17-20 (Hebrews 7); Numbers 18.21; Deuteronomy 14.22-29; Malachi 3.8-12; Matthew 6.19-21; 24-34; Luke 8.1-3; 12.13-21; 21.1-4; Acts 5.1-11; 11.19-30; 1 Corinthians 16.1-4; 2 Corinthians 9; 1 Timothy 5.17-18
Text copyright © 2018 by Fr. Symeon D. S. Kees