How To Give

Good Morning,

2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV)
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

There are two parts to this short verse of Scripture. At least I see them as separate...but also complimentary to one another.

The first part, "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion," is too often used as a "reason" (read here excuse, I think) to give very, very little to the support of his local congregation. I'll not go into the right or wrong of the tithe as is mentioned and explained in the Bible, as it often begins an argument or even a divisive discussion as to whether or not we should tithe. That's a discussion for another day. For not a few people it appears that it is very difficult to part with their "hard earned" money. I believe that those who feel that way sort of forget exactly Who is it that is the ultimate Provider for all we have...whether greatly blessed with abundant finances or even less blessed and just getting by. I say these things because, like many of us who read these words, I've been asked to serve as an usher at services from time to time and I've noticed the looks on people's faces as they place their money, check, or envelope into the passing basket. It is surely certain that there are many who are giving reluctantly and even feel that they have to give and are under some compulsion.

That brings us to the second part of this verse, "For God loves a cheerful giver." Does that mean that God doesn't love those who aren't cheerful or glad that they have the opportunity to give? No, of course not! God loves us all in spite of whatever faults we may have...and, I'm sure, all of us have many. In those times of being able to help out with the offering at services I've also noticed that there are many people who give with a huge smile and an obvious joy in their hearts. I mean, it really is obvious as to which people are giving cheerfully and which are giving reluctantly. I guess we humans can't truly disguise our emotions when it comes to parting with our finances.

So, is this a message to tell everyone to give more? Or one that will say we should all tithe? No, that's not the point. What IS the point is that we need to examine our hearts to see HOW we're giving whatever it is we decide to give. For those of us who feel that our "giving" is really sort of paying for services rendered, well, we have to get completely out of that mind set. I've heard remarks that people have made which more or less said that when they dropped their money into the basket they felt that they were paying for the service, much like going to a concert or play. We have to pray for those who feel that way. We also need to pray for those who are very reluctant to give even just a small amount, and for those who feel that they have to give something because of some compulsion to do so.

What we really need to do is to look inside to see why we feel the way we do when we give. If there's anything less than happiness and joy, well, we need to make some changes. If there's a frown on my face when I give, I need to go to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to help me change that frown to a smile. If there's a smile on my face when I give, then I need to go to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to help me KEEP that smile and that feeling of joy when I give.

Finally, we all need to pray for one another that we will understand that it does take finances to operate our various congregations. Now, some spend wisely and others, well, not so much. That, my friends, should be God's business to handle, and I think that in the final analysis, He does just fine. Yes, it takes money to run our buildings and to pay our congregational staffs. It's just a fact of life.

How we give, however, is between each of us and God. Let's do it more in line with the verse we read today. Let's give with true joy. It's what God wants of us.

Love, peace, and blessings,

David