What do you do when your bills are due, your wallet is thin, and the idea of giving feels like pouring from an empty cup? For many believers, tithing is a joyful act until money gets tight.

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In Malachi 3:10, God instructs us to “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.” We all long to experience blessings being poured down on us from the windows of heaven. We all want to experience the promise of lacking in nothing as a result of our obedience to tithing.

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However, there is an undeniable reality that believers experience seasons of financial difficulty, which create challenges in our desire to tithe. Our spirit may be willing, but financial pressures can make tithing feel impossible. When even 100% of our income doesn’t feel like enough, giving 10% can seem unthinkable.

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God Sees the Heart, Not the Amount

The literal translation of the word tithe is one-tenth, which is more easily understood as 10%. In the Bible, we read about God’s chosen people giving tithes to the LORD. Abraham gave to the LORD 10% of the possessions he had taken from the people he defeated, when he fought to redeem Lot from his captors. Jacob also promised to give God 10% of everything God gave him when he built the altar in Bethel. Throughout the Old Testament, we are given an understanding that to tithe is to give 10% of what we receive from God.

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However, while the instruction to give has not changed, Jesus shows us a different perspective on tithing in Luke 21:1-4 “Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, ‘Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.’’’

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We’re not told how much the widow gave, only that Jesus saw her gift as greater than anyone else’s. Her giving wasn’t measured by percentage but by trust. It is not beyond reason to assume that in this story, the big amounts of money that were offered were 10% of the givers’ possessions, considering the Israelites rigidly followed the instructions for tithing at that time. Yet, we see from Jesus’ words about the widow that when it comes to giving, the amount does not matter to Him. He looks at the state of heart of the giver.

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Another verse that supports this truth can be found in 2 Corinthians 9:7 “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” This verse makes it clear that even if someone were to give significant amounts of money, but in his heart was doing it for all the wrong reasons, it would not be pleasing to God. The amount we give doesn’t matter; if we give with the right state of heart before God, the one who offers $5 and the one who offers $5,000,000 look the same to God. Both will walk in the rewards of God’s promises for giving.

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Generosity Beyond Money

Although we experience seasons of struggling financially, the truth is we are always blessed to be a blessing to others, regardless of what our financial circumstances look like. There are many blessings we have apart from the blessing of money. We are blessed with talents, time, and other material blessings.

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‍Give your talents to the LORD by using them to help other people

Perhaps you are talented in art, and someone in your community who is struggling financially can not afford to have their kids’ rooms decorated – maybe you can offer to paint a mural for their kids’ rooms. Maybe you’re good with numbers, and a friend of yours has a kid who is struggling with Math, you can offer to tutor their child for free. Perhaps you are gifted with a high emotional quotient; you might offer encouragement or counsel to those in your church community. The LORD has given each of us talents and gifts that we are called to use to help His people.

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Give others your time so that they may be blessed through you

Maybe you’re a young single person who has a lot of time on the weekends, use that free time to be a blessing to others. You can offer to babysit your friends’ kids so your friends can have a nice Saturday night date out. If your kids are grown and your schedule allows, consider volunteering for a cause that matters to you. There are countless ways we can be generous in giving others our time to serve them.

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Be generous with other material possessions

Even in the middle of a financially difficult season, we are not without material blessings. You can use your house to host a friend who’s in town so they don’t have to pay for lodging. You can give someone who doesn’t have a car a ride. As the saying goes,  “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” There’s probably an old sweater in your closet you don’t use anymore that somebody would love to have. Money is not the only material blessing we have. There’s so much we’ve been given that we can offer, and most of it doesn’t cost a thing.

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We may not have a lot of money to give, but if we continue to ask God how we can be a blessing to others, He is faithful to show us who and how exactly we should help.

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How StewardWise Can Help

While there are many ways we can be generous with our blessings, giving financially is still one of the ways God calls us to help. When money is tight, we can feel at a loss about how to give monetarily the way God calls us to. StewardWise helps make giving easier for those overwhelmed by financial burdens.

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How StewardWise Helps You Give — Even When It’s Hard

When money feels tight, giving can feel like the first thing to go. But StewardWise was built to help you keep generosity at the center of your budget, not as an afterthought, but as an act of worship. Even if you can only give a few dollars right now, StewardWise makes it easy to do so.

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Plan for Generosity First

You can create a “Giving” category right at the top of your budget, whether you’re budgeting by month or by paycheck. This helps you set aside whatever amount God leads you to give before anything else, no matter how small.

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Track Your Progress with Purpose

As you give faithfully, StewardWise lets you track how your generosity grows over time. You can also set small giving goals to build rhythm and momentum, like “Tithe $10/week” or “Support a friend’s mission trip.”

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Reflect and Pray Over Your Finances

Premium users can journal inside the app, a great way to write out your prayers, reflect on verses like Luke 21:1–4 or Proverbs 3:9, and document the moments God provided when it seemed impossible.

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When Giving Feels Hard, Start with Trust

Financial hardship is never easy, but it is often where God does His deepest work. Tithing in tough seasons isn’t about hitting a number. It’s about trusting God with what you have, even when it feels like it’s not enough. Whether it’s two coins or two dollars, what matters most is the heart behind the gift. When we give in faith, even if it’s small, we create space for God to show up in big ways. It’s not about perfection. It’s about obedience, trust, and worship.

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StewardWise helps you take that next step with faith, not fear. Whether it’s setting aside $5 or simply creating space to pray over your budget, you don’t have to do it alone. Start small. Stay faithful. Trust God to provide.

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