Part of the series: What God Taught Me in the Season of Testing in the Wilderness

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I never expected God to confront me about the one thing I thought I had under control — money. But everything changed the moment the Lord revealed a powerful truth to me: I was serving two masters.

In a single moment, He exposed the hidden idol gripping my heart and invited me into a freedom I didn’t even know I needed. What He revealed was painful, humbling, and life-changing.

This is the story of how He gently tore down my money idol and restored true freedom in Him.

I admit that when the Lord tore down the idol of money in my heart, it was painful. Yet the freedom waiting for me on the other side was absolutely amazing.

Growing Up with a Stingy Mindset

Before I met Jesus, I was very selfish when it came to money. Even though it was challenging for me to give it away, I had no problem buying things for myself, like new clothes. My whole life was shaped by one principle:

“The less I give, the more I will have.”

These beliefs had been growing in me since childhood. I vividly recall one moment when I went with some friends to a stunning seaside nature park.

We walked for a good half hour under the hot sun, and when we saw the entrance fee — around 5€ — someone in the group decided it was too expensive and said we wouldn’t pay that price.

So we turned back and later stopped at a small bay instead.

Even in stores, I always chose the cheapest products, and whenever an unexpected expense came up, I became angry and frustrated.

I lived with this mentality of being “too stingy” until the Lord completely tore down my money idol.

A First Warning: The Pandemic Wake-Up Call

The first moment the Lord showed me that there is no true security in money happened even before I was born again.

When my husband and I were students working at an online store, we agreed that on Fridays, when he left work early to go home, I would clock him out later.

We did this believing we would earn a little more at the end of the month, convinced that every single penny mattered.

But shortly after, the coronavirus pandemic hit — and we had zero income for three months.

That’s when I first thought, “What do we have now from all that effort?”
Even then, the Lord was showing me: only He is the solid Rock.

You Cannot Serve Money And God

Before I continue, I should mention that I was born again in August 2020. Around that time, I began learning about tithing, but my understanding was distorted and stingy.

I told myself that since my husband and I were not employed yet, we simply couldn’t give. And even when my husband got a job, and I encouraged him to start tithing, I kept telling myself that I still couldn’t give.

Then one evening, while praying, the Lord showed me a powerful vision that money had become my god.

I saw the Lord in His holiness—only the outline of a white, radiant presence—and He showed me how money was bouncing off His holy light, unable to stand in the radiance of His presence.

He made it clear: He is a holy God, and I cannot serve two masters.

This realization placed me in an uncomfortable position, as I understood that radical changes would be necessary in this area.

But even with such a clear warning, I wasn’t ready to let go of money.

God Is A Jealous God

It remained an idol in my heart until July 2022, when I decided to change driving schools and requested a refund for 20 unused lesson hours.

When they told me they wouldn’t refund it—at least not in most cases—it felt like my whole world collapsed.

The thought of losing €500 wounded me deeply and shook every part of me that was still relying more on money than on God as my provider.

They eventually refunded part of it, but today I am grateful for that painful moment.

It led me to make a firm decision: I will tithe joyfully every month.

Do you think that’s where the story ends?
I wish I could say yes — but over time, my heart began to harden again.

In His mercy, the Lord intervened once more through two eye-opening events.

When God Tries To Get Your Attention

The first event that shook my perspective on giving and tithing happened during a summer trip with my husband to Monaco.

I had my mobile data on for work as we drove from France.

When we parked in Monaco, I thought we weren’t officially ‘in the country’ yet — so I left my data on for two more minutes.

What I didn’t realize was that mobile data wasn’t free in that country.

Ten minutes later, a message popped up: €60 had already been charged for the minimum data usage.

In that moment, the Lord gently opened my eyes and reminded me that I had begun growing stingy again with my tithes, letting fear of lack quietly creep in.

This realization shook my heart, and it hurt to see how easily I had allowed money to take priority over obedience.

Yet within that pain, a seed of transformation was planted.

I knew I could no longer withhold what belonged to Him, nor what He was calling me to give.

From then on, I chose to give my tithes cheerfully and with complete trust, allowing God to restore my heart and teach me the beauty of generosity.

Testimonies Of Tithing

Soon after, God began revealing practical principles of tithing through powerful testimonies I watched on the 700 Club YouTube channel.

Still, doubt lingered in my heart. I had always believed this biblical principle applied to others—never to me. I thought it might work for them, but not for me.

Then it hit me:

“My husband and I never even asked the Lord how much we should give. We decided for ourselves.”

I resolved: I will no longer be a slave to money.
But the Lord knew I needed one more painful lesson to finally surrender all control over it.

A Small Mistake — A Big Revelation

I bought an item from an online store, and due to my inattention, I damaged it slightly.

When I realized I couldn’t use it anymore, I grew frustrated and asked the Lord:

“Why does this keep happening? Why do I keep losing money?”

I thought He was punishing me for my poor decisions and actions.

But then the Holy Spirit clearly spoke to me, reminding me that His voice is not one of condemnation but of grace, and that it is God’s kindness which leads us to repentance.

In that moment, I repented for allowing money to become an idol in my heart, and Malachi 3:10 suddenly came alive before my eyes:

“Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.”
Malachi 3:10, ESV

Testing God’s Principle On Tithing— And Seeing It Work

I finally said,“All right, Lord. Your Word says that tithing is the one area where we may test You—so I will. Is giving truly what leads to lack, or is it withholding that leads to loss? Is it true that the more I give, the less I have, or is it true that the more I cling to, the more I lose?”

I surrendered all control over money, and when my husband and I brought our full tithe—along with a special offering—God responded.

The very next month, my husband received a promotion and a raise. And that’s not all — the directors of his company even decided to offer him a higher salary than originally agreed for the position.

I was stunned, couldn’t believe what had happened, and was overflowing with gratitude.

The Lord showed me that His principles are still true today, and they are worthy of our trust. When He speaks, we should follow His way, for He gave us money freely, and we are called to give it back freely.

I have experienced firsthand the truth of this verse from God’s Word.

“There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.”

Proverbs 11:24, KJV

I always believed the lie that the more money I withheld, the more I would have.

But the Lord showed me a completely different reality: the more you withhold, the more you lose. The truth is, the more you are aware of how much God has given you, the more willing you will be to give to others.

It’s not our money that the Lord desires, but the condition of our hearts in how we relate to it.

We serve a rich and generous Heavenly Father, and I encourage you to equip yourselves with the most important wallet of all — a heavenly, godly, eternal wallet that never wears out, where neither moth nor rust can destroy, and where thieves cannot break in.

This is the heart that learns to give cheerfully, storing treasures in heaven rather than clinging to what perishes here on earth. It is in cultivating this kind of heart that true freedom and lasting joy are found.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Matthew 6:19-21 ESV

The Blessing Hidden in God’s Pruning

When the false gods of this world are torn down in our hearts, it becomes time to prune what bears no fruit. Pruning may hurt in the moment, but it prepares the soil for healthy new growth—and, in time, a harvest of abundance.

For a season, I received very little each month. Yet I chose to tithe anyway, even if it meant saving nothing. And in the months that followed, God surprised me again —I received more than expected.

The Lord truly cares for His children, and His principles never fail:

“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”

Proverbs 11:26 ESV

All my life, I had believed the lie that giving less meant having more. But I learned that the opposite is true: only when we give can we truly receive.

I am deeply grateful to the Lord for every pruning process, because pruning is what leads us into true awakening — producing fruit that brings glory to God and blessing to others.

God Is Your Provider

What about you?
Is there an idol the Lord is asking you to lay down?

I can tell you firsthand:

Releasing an idol may sting for a moment —
but holding onto it will cost you far more.

Let Him prune what needs pruning.
Let Him expose what needs exposing.

His pruning is never meant to punish us, but to free us, refine us, and help us bear even more fruit for His glory and for our good.

When God tears down an idol, He never leaves an empty space —
He fills it with Himself.

If He is calling you to surrender something today, trust Him.
On the other side of obedience is a freedom deeper, sweeter, and stronger than you can imagine.