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What if the Church of Jesus Tithed?

This is a sobering article.  Although it is written from an American perspective, it is worth thinking about.

What Would Happen if the Church Tithed?

How giving 10 percent could change the world.

The church of today is not great at at giving.  
This isn’t exactly news. But it is a statistical fact: 
- Tithers make up only 10-25 percent of a normal congregation. 
- Only 5 percent of the U.S. tithes, with 80 percent of Americans only giving 2 percent of their income. 
- Christians are only giving at 2.5 percent per capita, while during the Great Depression they gave at a 3.3 percent rate. 
Numbers like that can invoke a lot of guilt, which isn’t really the point. The larger point is what would happen if believers were to increase their giving to a minimum of, let's say, 10 percent. There would be an additional $165 billion for churches to use and distribute. The global impact would be phenomenal. Here's just a few things the Church could do with the kind of money: 
- $25 billion could relieve global hunger, starvation and deaths from preventable diseases in five years.
- $12 billion could eliminate illiteracy in five years. 
- $15 billion could solve the world’s water and sanitation issues, specifically at places in the world where 1 billion people live on less than $1 per day. 
- $1 billion could fully fund all overseas mission work.
- $100 – $110 billion would still be left over for additional ministry expansion. 
Those are some amazing numbers.
The truth is: Giving is a heart issue, not a money issue. 
So why don’t we give?
The real problem when it comes to our giving is not about money. Not really. Actually, the Bible says it's about our eyes. Rather, it’s what Jesus called "the evil eye." He said it like this.
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:21-23 KJV) 
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