That There Be No Poor Among Us

 

Tithing as a Divine Invitation

Learning Equality Among Us

Local fellowships are where we’re meant to practice equality—not in theory, but in lived, relational ways through sacrifice, consecration, and care for one another.

We’re cautioned against creating hierarchies or centralized systems of distribution. The Lord’s instructions in T&C 175 are specific:

“The relief of the poor among you refers to the poor among the individual fellowship. If there are no poor among you, then excess donations should go to the temple, but they can be shared as your fellowship determines by common consent.”

This places responsibility at the most personal level—within communities where people know and are known. Each fellowship must discern its own needs and respond with love and sacrifice. If no poor are found among them, excess can be redirected to the temple or elsewhere, but only by common consent, ensuring that generosity remains grounded in unity and shared purpose.

We say we want Zion—a people of one heart and one mind, dwelling in righteousness. But Zion isn’t built by distant ideals or dramatic gestures. It’s built in the quiet, daily work of loving, giving, and serving each other. Tithing is one of those daily acts.

“The law [of tithing] was to be a light thing, easily borne by the faithful.”

It is one-tenth of our surplus—our unnecessary excess, what remains after our own needs are met. Its purpose is both simple and sacred: to bless the poor, promote equality, and draw us closer to the heart of Christ.

Yet tithing is rarely just about money. It’s about walking together as a covenant people—learning trust, humility, and love in real relationships. And that’s where it gets difficult. Because it’s in the messy, relational work that we are refined—and that Zion begins to take shape.

The Heart of Tithing: A Light and Relational Law

The restoration of the Lord’s people requires a mighty change of heart—not just individually, but collectively. Few things test this more than how we handle tithes and offerings.

We are commanded to care for the poor among us, yet in fellowships with differing levels of need, this can become complex. Still, the Lord’s instruction is both clear and simple: equality must be learned in our fellowships.

“The tithes of this people are to be used for the poor among this people, if they want to become Mine.”

Tithing is not about enriching institutions or stockpiling funds. It’s not about control, suspicion, or centralized oversight. It’s about taking what we don’t need—our surplus—and using it to lift those in our midst who lack housing, food, clothing, healthcare, education, or transportation.

The phrase “among this people” is key. Tithing is meant to happen locally, among those we gather with in worship. Why? Because local giving demands something far more sanctifying than distant charity—it requires trust, vulnerability, and mutual accountability.

It’s easy to send money to a far-off cause and feel generous. It’s harder to give to someone you see each week, whose life and choices might challenge your assumptions, whose needs you don’t fully grasp. But that’s exactly where Zion begins—not in abstraction, but in relationship. Among us.

Avoiding Comparison

Comparison is a trap. It leads to pride or shame—both distortions of the pure principles we’re called to live. One fellowship’s “poor” may appear wealthier than another’s, but that misses the point. Each group is meant to stand independent—that is, to take full responsibility for discerning and meeting needs within their own fellowship—and learn equality within their own sphere.

Zion will eventually be gathered into one, but that day has not yet come. For now, it is in the intimacy and accountability of small fellowships that we learn oneness of heart. As the Lord has said:

“Be tender with one another, pursue judgment, bless the oppressed, care for the orphan, and uplift the widow in her need… Be one… Each of you must equally walk truly in my path, not only to profess, but to do as you profess.”

The Lord is not asking for uniformity—He’s asking for faithfulness, wherever we are, with whomever we worship and serve.

The glossary defines a fellowship as those who desire to “come together to learn, worship, fast, pray, and assist each other who are desirous to come into the fold of God and to be called His people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens.”

That means real people, real relationships, and real messiness. Each fellowship is a sacred laboratory where we practice virtue, equality, and holiness—not in theory, but in daily action.

Challenges in Asking: Avoiding Entitlement

For those in need, asking for help is an act of courage and humility. But it can go wrong. Some fall into a pattern of asking repeatedly—without transparency, gratitude, or visible effort to improve their situation. This dependency mindset can feel like entitlement, as if the fellowship owes them support. Over time, it wears people out. Givers grow resentful. Trust erodes. Relationships fracture.

The Lord invites those in need to seek His guidance, to do all they can themselves, and to approach their fellowship with honesty and humility. Asking isn’t just about receiving—it’s about building a relationship of mutual respect.

Challenges in Giving: Letting Go of Control

Giving to those in need is a sacred act—but it also tests our hearts. While the Lord commands us to care for the poor among us, He also asks us to trust one another. That’s where many falter.

Sometimes, after giving, we catch ourselves watching how the recipient spends their money. Did they buy something we wouldn’t? Should they have waited to fix their car or replace their fridge? Are they showing enough gratitude? These thoughts creep in quietly but carry the seeds of judgment and division.

But giving is not meant to be an exercise in control.

Once we offer tithes to relieve someone’s burden, they are no longer ours. We do not get to hover, investigate, or expect poverty as proof of sincerity. The law of tithing is relational, not transactional. If we cannot release our offerings with trust, perhaps we are not yet giving with the heart of Christ.

Zion is not built by suspicion, but by love. Not by accounting ledgers, but by shared sacrifice and mutual respect. The moment we demand receipts, we risk trading a spiritual principle for a worldly one.

If we want to give like the Lord gives—freely, abundantly, without reproach—we must also let go like He lets go.

Tithing Locally vs. Globally: Why “Among Us” Matters

It’s tempting to look beyond our fellowships to help the poor around the world. And we should care about global suffering. But tithing, as the Lord defines it, is for the poor among us. Why? Because Zion isn’t built by sending checks to strangers—it’s built through the hard, holy work of becoming one heart and one mind with those we know.

When we give globally, we often idealize the recipients. They become the “deserving poor”—grateful, humble, and far away. Meanwhile, we scrutinize the people next to us, judging their choices, questioning their needs. This creates a double standard.

Zion starts small. We can’t solve world poverty, but we can work with a few families in our fellowship to figure some things out. That’s where the transformation happens.

A Higher Law: Walking Toward Unity

Tithing is a crucible for spiritual growth. It forces us to confront our pride, fear, and judgment—whether we’re giving or asking. It’s not about uniformity but unity. To get there, we need:

• Clear understanding of surplus: What does “excess” mean for each household?
• Mutual trust: Can we talk honestly about needs and intentions?
• Non-coercive giving: Can we give without control or resentment?
• Wise asking: Have we sought God's will and done all we can?
• Discernment over suspicion: Are we led by the Spirit or by judgment?

These questions require maturity and relationship. They push us to have hard conversations with soft hearts. Equality is not something to be decreed. It is achieved through sacrifice and mutual concern.

Practical Wisdom for Fellowships

To make tithing a unifying practice, fellowships can adopt practical principles. These are only ideas shared in the hopes of sparking dialogue:

• Create a respectful and relational request process.
  Make space for individuals to share needs in ways that preserve their dignity—whether privately with trusted stewards or in safe, voluntary group settings.
• Encourage open-hearted giving with consent, not anonymity.
  Instead of anonymous giving, foster safe relationships where needs and offerings can be shared with mutual consent. This allows for honest conversation, accountability, and healing of pride, shame, or fear.
• Assign prayerful stewards—not gatekeepers—to guide and support.
  Choose individuals who are spiritually mature, compassionate, and discerning to walk with those in need, not to judge, but to help facilitate wise, Spirit-led support.
• Normalize discussions about needs and offerings.
  Regularly check in with one another—not just about doctrine or study, but about life. Normalize asking, “Is there anything you need?” or “Do you have more than enough in any area you could offer?”
• Share stories of giving and receiving (with permission).
  When individuals are willing, invite them to share testimonies of both giving and receiving. These stories inspire faith, cultivate humility, and build trust within the fellowship.

Conclusion: Tithing as a Step Toward Zion

Tithing is more than a financial offering—it’s a daily, relational sacrifice that shapes us for Zion. It compels us to truly see the poor among us—not as abstractions, but as friends, neighbors, and sometimes even those we struggle to love. It stretches us beyond judgment, pride, and fear, inviting us instead to lift one another up.

The Lord is teaching us equality—not through top-down programs or declarations, but through personal relationships. The test is simple yet profound: Can we become of one heart and one mind with those around us? Can we give without control, ask without entitlement, and keep returning to the table—even when it’s hard?

This is spiritual work, but it’s also profoundly practical. Some of the fractures in our movement might have played out differently if we had first done the slow, often unseen labor of learning to love, serve, and trust each other within our fellowships.

Tithing is one of the places where we practice the very things Zion requires: listening, sacrificing, forgiving, and walking together. When we bypass this by sending money elsewhere, we may avoid the messiness—but we also miss the refining, sanctifying process that comes through direct engagement. Zion isn’t built on easy agreement or idealistic unity—it’s built on people who’ve learned to disagree, repent, forgive, and serve side by side.

If we can do that—even imperfectly, but sincerely—we may be closer to Zion than we realize. So let’s talk. Let’s pray. And let’s walk this road together, with hearts soft enough to be taught.

In Zion, “there were no poor among them” not because poverty was exported or averaged away, but because each fellowship learned to become one. That is the work before us. And it begins—not with policy—but with the heart.

References

T&C 173, T&C 158, T&C 175, T&C 157, T&C Glossary: Fellowship, Denver Snuffer, “Tithing”

A Musical Note

My daughters were first introduced to The Beatles through the movie Yesterday, which we all absolutely loved! At first, they thought they'd be hooked on the movie’s soundtrack, but it didn’t take long before the original Beatles recordings won them over. Now, the Fab Four have officially earned a spot on our already massive family playlist.

I grew up in a family full of musicians, so everything from Elvis to Don Williams to Bon Jovi was on rotation. It makes me so happy to see my kids branching out and discovering timeless music for themselves.

This one’s a particular favorite. I thought it would fit nicely here.