To download a printable version of this transcript, click here.
 
 
iQuestions Faculty, Ron Blue 
 
 
Question: 
 
What do you do if you are too far in debt to give? 
 
Answer: 
 
There are a lot of people who are in crisis situations—maybe they’ve 
lost a job, maybe they’ve had a medical emergency—and it’s caused 
them to go into debt. And so, their debts were not really self-inflicted, 
they were the result of a loss of a job, or a medical emergency, or an 
accident, or something like that. They are in debt, and now they have 
expenses that are greater than their income. What should they do 
relative to their giving?  
 
Well, I believe in the Bible. Of course the Bible talks about tithing in 
the Old Testament, which is a ten percent proportionate gift. In the 
New Testament, however, I Corinthians 16:1 says, “Give as God has 
prospered you.” And, you don’t find in the New Testament the tithe 
reemphasized, if you will. I think that in the New Testament, “give as 
God has prospered you,” can kind of cut two ways. One, if I make a lot 
of money, I should be giving a lot more than a tithe amount—a ten 
percent amount— but if I’m in an emergency type of situation, I 
believe that giving proportionately might be an answer to that. I would 
only do it, however, with accountability from a pastor or someone who 
will hold you accountable to that, and I would only do it in accordance 
with a plan. 
 
If you’re in a situation where you have more expenses than income, 
you need some help. And you need some help from someone who’s 
going to hold you up, going to pat you on the back, pray for you, 
encourage you and help you.  
 
 
 
That’s where the body of Christ comes in. You need to go to 
somebody, preferably in your church, and get the accountability, get 
them to help you with the plan, and get them to give you the 
encouragement. As far as giving is concerned, I do believe that, even 
if it’s a dollar a week, or fifty cents a week, that giving something on a 
regular basis just demonstrates to God that you understand, He owns 
it all, and you’re dependent upon Him, and you’re not dependent upon 
the money, if you will, to meet all of the needs that you have.  
 
Page -2- 
To download a printable version of this transcript, click here.