The Loan Shark

Is God the great loan shark? Does He enjoy collecting interest on my tithe? Well, the short answer is no.

In preparation to take out a student loan, I began a detailed budget to figure out exactly how much I would need. As I came across a familiar budget entry: "tithe," it occurred to me that tithing on a loan seemed slightly strange; however, I found myself swimming in uncharted territory.

My original dilemma was whether I should tithe 10% on the portion of the loan I had set aside as monthly "salary" or if I should tithe on my total loan in monthly installments. I was having a hard time hearing God on the decision, so I asked a few of my closest friends. It was brought to my attention that perhaps I was asking the wrong question. The question goes more like, "should we tithe on borrowed money at all?"

Well, the short answer is no.

My friend reminded me that we are instructed to tithe on our income (Deut. 14:22). Loans are not income, they are not fruits of our labor and they are not produce from our fields. As my friend said, "they are, by definition, the opposite of income, because we OWE that money in the end and loans increase our debt, while income increases our capital."

She went on to say, "if we tithe on our loans, we are essentially charging ourselves interest (or rather, it would be like God is charging us interest) because for each dollar we give to tithing, we have to pay that back plus interest later. I don’t think God is in the business of charging interest." In other words, God is not the great loan shark in the sky.

I'm relieved to say the least. My perspective obviously needed a shift. A loan, in my mind, was simply a sum of money that I could use at my discretion. I believe I had it all wrong, not just in my naivety about tithing, but in my disrespect for the lender.

Loan money does not belong to the borrower; it is someone else’s money on loan for a limited time and a specific purpose. The borrower is obligated to use the lender’s money for the purpose for which it was granted, like home payments, educational expenses, etc. Giving from loan money, regardless of good intentions, would not be in sync with the intent of a loan. It would be acceptable to give from one’s INCOME, because the money is one’s own. But respect for the lender’s intent is the principle here. This principle excludes not only self-indulgent spending but also unauthorized giving, i.e. tithing.

Without earned income, how can I tithe? We are called to a higher standard of giving, which should include above and beyond the 10% mark not only with giving out of our income to the storehouse (Malachi 3:10), but also with our time, gifts and services.

“Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Out of my grateful heart I will give of my time and gifts to the church and community. God promises that our giving will always be to our benefit and His glory.