Don't worry about your finances, put your trust in the Lord, and he will provide for you.
Tithes (usually a 10th to God's house where we are being fed) and Offerings (anything extra we give) have to do with the heart. Not money. We give money because we are in a heart relationship with God. He speaks to our hearts as to when and where to give. We give because we Trust our Father God to provide for us all that we need. It is an act of faith, that God will take care of us.
When I was a single Mom on welfare as a new Christian, I asked the Lord about tithing, and I felt he wanted me to give 10% of my welfare check, and test him in it. I would not recommend this to anyone else, however God spoke to MY heart about it and so I did what He said. I did not know how I was going to buy diapers, but from that moment on, God provided in miraculous ways. People I didn't even know, came up to me and handed me money, and said, 'God told me to give this to you'.
Over many years God took me, a high school dropout, from welfare, to become "Assistant Vice President and Finance Officer" of a Bank! I was put in charge of investing the Banks money, and moving millions of dollars every business day! If I didn't know how to do something, I would simply ask God, and he would give me an idea that worked. I had no collage degree. Why and how did He do this? I believe it was to prepare me to be an instrument of His giving. I have no money, it is all God's. As God preformed financial miracles my faith grew.
Many people think God hates anything to do with financial health, and Jesus was poor, but the truth is Jesus was very rich because he knew he had access to all that his Father had in any moment. However Jesus was frugal. He didn't waste time on 'storing up treasures on earth', but instead used his unlimited resources to give Heavenly treasures. He went without material comforts by choice, because his mission wasn't about material wealth, but about spiritual wealth. He was generous and showed compassion on those in financial difficulties. Some of his first miracles Jesus performed were more about finances than anything else; He turned water into wine, and filled Simon's boat to overflowing with fish. In Jesus's day, those items represented money. He proved that his Father not only cared about our financial well being, but that our Father God was merciful, generous, and would take care of us.
Because we live in a monetary system, God showed me this type of trust is very important. Scripture says we cannot love money and God. It is one or the other. To love God, we need to put every dollar at his feet in our hearts, listen for his guiding voice, and trust him to provide.
Matthew 6:25-34 (Jesus speaking) "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 28 "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you--you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
