Benjamins. Dough. Moolah. Greenbacks. Bucks. Whatever you call it, money makes the world go ‘round. The world tells us to get more of it, but God calls us to do something radical—to give it away. I'm sure you've heard of tithing. It's the practice of systematically giving away some of your money for ministry. Whether you make a little money through an allowance, a babysitting job, or a few hours of waiting tables . . . or a lot of money from something like inventing the iPad, the Bible urges us as Christians to give 
back a portion of all of the money we make. But parting with our money can be tough. I know that can be especially true if you don't have a steady job or hefty income. And yet the Bible gives us lots of reasons to tithe, regardless of our age range or income bracket. So ... do you have a few dollars in your piggy bank? Here are four great reasons to start (or keep) tithing. Tithing teaches us to put God first Deuteronomy 12:6 says, "And there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, your vow offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock." Did you notice which part of the herd and flock the giver is commanded to bring to God? The firstborn. This principle of giving the first fruits—the cream of the crop and the best of the best—to God is seen in several places in Scripture. I know you likely aren't getting paid in sheep or crops, but starting the practice of giving money to God first teaches you to put His kingdom above your world. It's safer than a safe deposit box Matthew 6:19–20 says, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal." Go ahead; put all your money in your bank. It won't be there in fifty years. Bury it under a tree, and it will rot. Spend it all on shoes, and they will inevitably go out of style. But the Bible promises that what we do for God's kingdom will last forever, and that includes giving our money toward ministry. You're gonna reap what you sow Galatians 6:7 says, "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap." You get what you give, sweet girl. When it comes to finances, this is not a literal promise. You can't drop $50 in the offering plate and expect God to mail you a $50 check. But sow generosity, selfless giving, and sacrifice, and you will reap crops of righteousness and blessing. Sow crops of stinginess and me-centered spending, and you'll just reap self-centeredness. Giving some of your money away to your church and other ministries that God is working through is the only investment of your resources guaranteed to last for eternity. Not tithing is spiritual shoplifting Malachi 3:8 says, "Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?' In your tithes and contributions." When the nation of Israel withheld their tithes from God, He said they were robbing Him. The same is true when we refuse to tithe. I know your money feels like it belongs to you. You work hard for it. You put it in your wallet. You spend it on your stuff. But the reality is, it all belongs to God. He gave you your opportunities to earn money and everything ultimately belongs to Him. So the next time you think about holding back your tithe money to create an emergency Starbucks fund, consider it a hold-up of God's money. Then ... put the latte down and give generously because God has given so much to you.