In Paul the apostle’s second letter to the church at
Corinth, he wrote these words: “Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give;
not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians
9:7). Paul shared this truth as he appealed to the church to provide
money to the help the saints in other places.
The phrase, “God loves a cheerful giver,” is not limited to money. Rather, this is a revelation of God’s character. Yes, Paul was specifically writing to the church about money, but the point is that no matter what we give, God requires us to do so cheerfully.
The phrase, “God loves a cheerful giver,” is not limited to money. Rather, this is a revelation of God’s character. Yes, Paul was specifically writing to the church about money, but the point is that no matter what we give, God requires us to do so cheerfully.
Many times, when congregants are asked to give of their time
or money, they complain in the process. They may feel as though their
complaining is not a big deal as long as they do what has been asked of them.
But God is concerned not only about their giving, but also with the attitude
with which they give. He doesn’t want them to give simply because they feel
pressured to do so.
We should always
give to God with the right attitude.
This is such an important biblical principle on how to give
to God. Sometimes, church leaders in their zeal or desperation to grow the ministry
will lay serious pressure on church members to give financially to some cause
or to serve in a church ministry. But even in causes that are biblically sound,
God wants our participation to come from a sincere heart. Paul the apostle was
careful to point this out to the church at Corinth. Can you imagine a
local pastor today underscoring this truth as he appeals to his congregation to
support the church’s building fund?
Let’s look at this from another angle. If church leaders must
pressure church members to support the genuine work of the Lord with their
money and time, what does that say about the people? For one thing, it says
that God does not have their heart. And if He doesn’t have their heart, He won’t
get much of their money or their time.
In other words,
people tend to support what they seriously value. And I am saying that if
getting the people of God to give of their time and resources to support the
work of the Lord is like trying to push a rope, this struggle speaks to a
relationship problem. God has to change our heart so that we take on the
character of Christ in order for us to value the things He does.
Copyright © 2013 by Frank King. All rights reserved.
2 comments:
Yes,true Bible giving is about attitude and motive! Church projects at times create pressure, and make people give with the wrong heart.
Amen. One of the things that disturbs me is the manipulation and techniques often used by TV preachers to get viewers to give. This does not bode well for the reputation of the gospel.
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