Matthew 5:23-24 (NASB) says, “23“Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.” 

Luke 11:42 (NASB) says, “42But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.” 

Mark 7:9-13 (NASB) says, “9He was also saying to them, “You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. 10“For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, is to be put to death’; 11but you say, ‘If a man says to his father or his mother, whatever I have that would help you is Corban (that is to say, given to God),’ 12you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother; 13thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that.”

Many in this younger generation have not grasped the understanding of the importance of giving in the kingdom of God. The two reasons for this is due to the self-centeredness rooted in Americanism creeping into the church and the perversion of the prosperity gospel in generations past. The greatest demonstration of this has been seen through television ministry, which is why it has been hated on so tremendously. Of course, there is nothing wrong with television ministry, but when scripture is twisted in order to fund a war chest worth millions of dollars, you can discover all kinds of issues. To twist people’s arms in order to condemn them to give by pulling on their heart strings rather than freely giving from their heart, then it is giving for the wrong reasons!

Of course we should give. In both the Old and New Testaments, you will never read one scripture in which God did away with tithing. Giving 10% of our income back to God out of obedience is giving a portion back to God of what He has supplied to and for us. In fact, Jesus told the Pharisees that they tithed but disregarded justice and God’s love, but all of these should be regarded (Luke 11:42). God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7), but our giving should not be rooted in a perversion of the gospel! 

How we spend our money shows what we prioritize, but there is something God values more than money:  relationship! Jesus instructs that if we present our offering to God, but we remember our brother has something against us, then we are to lay down our offering at the altar, go and make things right (Matthew 5:23-24). Bitterness and offenses will hinder God accepted our sacrifices we make to Him, whether it is time, energy or money! We can do all of the right things religiously in the church, but how we build our relationships matter so much more. 

Another example of how God values relationship more than money is founded in Mark 7:9-13, when the Pharisees transgressed the commandments of God through their tradition. How did they do this? When they gave a specific amount to God while their disregarded and dishonored their parents. In other words, they had parents who were in desperate financial need, but they refused to help them by giving to the Jewish temple or synagogue instead. This was invalidating the fifth commandment by honoring their tradition! The way we honor our parents will reveal how we honor God as our heavenly Father! Now, helping our parents or family should not be used as an excuse to keep us from financially supporting revival and the works of the kingdom of God if we can keep from it, but at the end of the day, family is important because it is what God established from the very beginning! Therefore, God values relationship more than money any day!