While I don't consider myself to be lacking in generosity towards God or those around me, I have never had a deliberate and consistent approach to tithing. Since tithing is an Old Testament concept, under "The Law" that Jesus has already fulfilled, it technically shouldn't be a requirement any more. The same could be said for a lot of other things in the Old Testament, but that doesn't mean that tithing is not a good kingdom principle. Jesus commended those who gave all that they had, which is a much more than the standard tithe.
While I have always been one to put money in the offering plate at church, up to this point most of my giving has been dictated by the level of the needs that I perceive around me. This is different than giving based on the level of provision in my life, presumably from God. God has blessed me with a lot, by any measure, so I should probably be more cognizant of that in regards to my giving.
The first practical question, since I don't have a consistent source of income, is: what figure do I calculate my tithe from. My first inclination was to base it on the amount of money I "earned" from my work in any given month, regardless of when I received payment, which is frequently months later. This is how I do most of my accounting and budgeting, so it seemed natural. After I thought and prayed about it, the issue that was revealed is that method makes no concession for the possibility that God can provide us with money that we don't necessarily earn. For example, I got a sizable refund when I switched my car insurance to NorCal, because rates are lower up here, which wouldn't appear when totaling what I earned, but God provided it none the less. Gifts I received would be similarly ignored in that system.
Instead it seems better to total up all of the money I receive from any source in a given month, and use that as the basis for how much I aim to give. That leads to the question of: to whom should I be giving this tithe to? That is something I am still working on figuring out, but it will not be a simple single answer. I will still give to the churches I attend, and when I see needs arise, but whenever that doesn't reach the level of a standard 10% tithe for that month, I will set the excess aside, to be used at the next opportunity God provides. Longer term, this will probably entail lowering the threshold for what I classify as a "need" in order to meet that objective, which is a good thing.
I have a number of possible needs to contribute to, many of which I already do, but I could do so at higher levels. I also have another method of giving that is a bit more unorthodox. When people I know are trying to raise specific amounts of money, to support their own ministries or fund mission trips, or things like that, I always have trouble determining how much to give them. One solution I use to that question is to ask them to let me know how much they still need when their deadline approaches, and offer to cover the remainder. Among other issues, this approach only works if I trust the recipient to continue fund-raising after I make that guarantee, but more often than not, they will end up reaching their goal without further assistance from me. And when they don't, then I have no doubt in my mind about how much God wants me to give them, nor the value of that contribution. Even if they don't end up needing money from me, there is value to what I am doing, in absorbing risk, and hopefully easing any stress they have about failing to meet their goal or deadline. It could be argued that God is the one they should be relying on and trusting to come through for them in that situation, but at the end of the day, are we not all His instruments?
But in order to give a full tithe I am going to have to start doing more actual giving, as opposed to just making offers, or I am going to have to start making a whole lot more offers. That could turn out to be an expensive proposition, but tithing is supposed to be establishing a minimum level of generosity, not a maximum one.
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