An obstinate refusal to honor the tithe principle will inevitably result in detrimental consequences. A person who stubbornly refuses to surrender their lives completely to Christ’s Lordship will never become a strong, victorious Christian. An unwillingness to yield our finances and possessions to Christ may be an indication of spiritual selfishness, distrust, dishonesty, and greed.
A stingy, materialistic mentality is detrimental to healthy spiritual growth. An impoverished spirit in giving inevitably leads to spiritual poverty. The Bible establishes this principle when it states, “One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty” (Prov. 11:24, N.I.V.).
A Christian who refuses to trust in God’s financial provision will experience a stunted and anemic faith walk. If a person cannot express his love and gratitude to the Lord in the use of his possessions and income, he will never experience the riches of joy, appreciation, thankfulness, contentment, and reward which is possible through totally surrendering one’s life to Christ.
