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# Beyond Tithing
- URL: https://www.discipletofaith.com/beyond-tithing/
- Published: 2026-03-03T00:09:14.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-29T18:09:34.000Z
- Author: Peter
- Tags: Generosity, Living in Community, Values, #Migrated-1788026806796, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-29 18:06

February invited us to examine faith in the workplace — ambition, integrity, rest, courage, resentment, forgiveness. We asked what our jobs require of our faith.

Now, as we move deeper into Lent, we turn to something just as formative: our money.

March shifts from vocation to stewardship — from how we work to how we give, spend, save, and trust.

So let’s begin…

*The Discipleship of Your Dollar*

*March 2 — Lent | Faith & Stewardship*

When most Christians think about money and faith, one word usually surfaces:

Tithing.

Ten percent.

Church giving.

Obligation fulfilled.

And while generosity matters deeply, reducing financial discipleship to a percentage quietly shrinks something Jesus treated as central.

Because Jesus talked about money more than almost any other subject.

Not to shame.

Not to control.

But to reveal.

**Your money does not just fund your life. It forms your heart.**

And Lent is the perfect time to examine that formation.

**1\. Money Is a Spiritual Diagnostic**

Jesus once said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Notice the order.

He didn’t say your money follows your heart.

He said your heart follows your money.

Money reveals:

- what you fear
- what you trust
- what you prioritize
- what you compare
- what you believe will secure you

That’s why the conversation cannot stop at tithing.

The deeper question is:

**What is your money shaping you into?**

**2\. Generosity Is Not About God’s Need — It’s About Your Freedom**

One of the most helpful reframings in modern Christian teaching comes from voices like **Andy Stanley**, who reminds us that generosity is not God’s fundraising strategy.

It’s God’s freedom strategy.

Giving loosens money’s grip.

It trains your heart to trust provision beyond your paycheck.

It disrupts the lie that accumulation equals security.

Generosity is not about meeting God’s budget.

It’s about protecting your soul.

**3\. Lent Asks: What Are You Trusting?**

During Lent, we often give something up.

But money invites a harder question:

What are you clinging to?

Savings.

Lifestyle.

Status.

Future control.

Comparison.

Jesus did not condemn wealth automatically.

But He did warn repeatedly about attachment.

It is possible to give ten percent and still live in anxiety.

It is possible to tithe and still worship accumulation.

The issue is not math.

It’s mastery.

**4\. Stewardship Is Not Budgeting**

Budgeting is wise.

But stewardship is bigger.

Stewardship asks:

- Does my spending reflect my values?
- Do I give first or leftover?
- Does generosity stretch me?
- Am I content or constantly comparing?
- Do I practice gratitude for enough?

Stewardship is about alignment.

It treats every dollar as a disciple-maker — shaping habits, reinforcing trust, and clarifying allegiance.

**5\. Practical Discipleship of the Dollar**

This month will move beyond abstract reflection.

Here are a few starting points:

**1\. Reverse the Order**

Give first. Save second. Spend third.

Train your heart before satisfying your desires.

**2\. Practice Secret Generosity**

Give in ways that build no reputation.

Let your heart grow without applause.

**3\. Audit Comparison**

Notice when someone else’s purchase unsettles you.

Ask what insecurity it touches.

**4\. Define “Enough”**

Without a definition of enough, contentment never arrives.

**6\. Money and the Neighbor With the Boat**

We will talk this month about comparison more directly.

Because contentment is fragile when your neighbor just upgraded.

Jesus never promised equal outcomes.

But He did promise freedom from envy.

The discipleship of your dollar is not about keeping up.

It’s about keeping your heart.

**The Invitation**

March begins with a simple but searching question:

**Who is discipling your money — and who is your money discipling?**

Lent invites examination not for guilt, but for freedom.

Generosity is not loss.

It is liberation.

And the way you handle your resources — quietly, weekly, repeatedly — may be one of the clearest indicators of where your trust truly rests.

Monday through Saturday.

Even in your bank account.