It`s Not Always About Prosperity

I am not a prosperity preacher, believing very much that Christians have been called to suffer for the sake of the gospel. However, that suffering is not as some consider suffering. Instead of suffering maybe it is better to understand it as sacrifice. It only makes sense. Love is not love unless it has called us to sacrifice. As Christ put us before his own needs, this same love compels us to put others ahead of our own.

Yet, there are certain spiritual laws that are in place that cannot be ignored. One of these is that we are to love and honour Yahweh above anything else in our life. Jesus made it clear as he told us that our love for him must be greater than any other, including for our wife and parents. The Word also tells us that doing this allows everything else to flow as Father intends it to flow:

Honor the Lord with your possessions,
And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
So your barns will be filled with plenty,
And your vats will overflow with new wine. (Proverbs 3:9-10)

I know that with the garbage that is out there right now there is a push back against anything that even remotely smells of prosperity teaching, but this is the Word of God. Jesus taught this in a better depth when he told us not to chase after the things that people of this world are consumed with, but instead to seek the things of the Kingdom. He said when we have our priorities right it allows Father to provide for us everything that we need.

Some Christians pride themselves in not chasing after the prosperity teaching yet their hearts are not right in this matter. They may not be trying to get rich but they are still getting their priorities wrong. They still chase after the things of this world so they can pay the bills, setting aside their spiritual priorities. This is wrong and it will stop the flow of Father's blessings.

Many people don't tithe, using a long list of excuses, but tithing, or lack of tithing, reveals the condition of our heart toward Yahweh. We honour our governments and whoever else we owe money to, but we hold back our tithes, considering it not to be a spiritual thing. We treat it as a business thing and unfortunately the Church treats it this way as well. But it is a matter of love and honour and when it is lacking it blocks our heart from receiving from Father.

The difference is, the Word does not tell us to tithe so that our "barns" will be filled but that filled "barns" are the natural blessing of a people who honour Yahweh. It is about relationship, love, honour, respect, and if that is not the foundation of our life with Jesus, we will never come into the fullness of this relationship. This is obviously not a full teaching on this subject because there is much to be said on the physical and spiritual blessings that result from a proper heart condition, but it is a nudge in the direction of considering the matter more fully.