Often people succumb to deceptions that prevent them from accepting God’s abundance for their lives. Here are four primary lies.
Lie #1: God wants you poor. Why do people fight so hard to be poor? Instead of craving more to lavish on yourself, imagine how—if you had more—you could do more to help others. God’s covenant was to prosper His people so extravagantly that it would be a witness to the world. God takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servants (see Ps. 35:27).
Lie #2: Prosperity is equivalent to monetary wealth. Financial surplus is only one part of God’s plan for abundance. Loving families, fulfilling relationships, vibrant health and purposeful lives are included in the abundant life Jesus described in John 10:10.
Lie #3: You can’t afford to tithe. What a deceptive lie. In truth, you can’t afford not to tithe! The tithe isn’t yours to negotiate; it’s God’s and it is holy. The Israelites paid their tithe as a debt, but since Jesus paid our sin-debt on Calvary, we tithe as an offering of gratitude. People don’t argue over leaving a waiter a 15-percent tip at a restaurant; why, then, would we resent giving God a tithe? What does it say about our priorities if we honor Visa before God?
Lie #4: All the church wants is your money. No, it doesn’t. It wants fruit added to your heavenly account. It wants to expose anything in your heart that will prevent God’s blessings from overtaking you—things such as selfishness, fear or greed. God’s financial plan requires obedience, gratitude and generosity. The truth is, generosity has nothing to do with finances. Generosity requires heart. It can be seen in a homeless man sharing his blanket or a grieving widow giving someone else a hug. You can give without loving, but you can’t love without giving.
