20
The Method of Generosity
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:6-7
Have you ever apologized for something, but didn’t really mean it?
Anyone who is a parent of two or more children has probably seen this scene play out hundreds of times. One child gets in trouble for hitting their sibling, and they give a half-hearted, mumbled apology, you know wasn’t coming from a place of true sorrow. They said the right words with their mouths, but in their heart they weren’t sorry at all. We do this same type of thing with God. We do or say the right thing, but our hearts aren’t in the right place, while when we do it. At some point, we’ve all done this with worship, prayer, serving, and giving.
God isn’t just concerned with the amount you give or when you give, or even the amount you pray, serve, or worship. God is more concerned with how you give, pray, serve, or worship. The method is very important to God. It matters to Him even when it doesn’t matter to us. In giving, for example, there are many Christians who believe that as long as they are being obedient and going through the motions in the correct way, the method or circumstances surrounding your gift don’t matter. This is not true. Today’s passage is one of many which records some very specific instructions concerning how we are to bring our gifts to God.
The first thing we see from today’s passage is that God prefers for us to give generously over sparingly. This may be obvious, but it’s surprising how many people who claim to love God still attempt to do the absolute bare minimum when it comes to honoring and serving God. A bare minimum mindset is not what we are called to live out as followers of Christ. Seeking to do the bare minimum in serving, giving and helping others is never an accurate reflection of our God. Instead of the bare minimum, we should instead seek to be what scripture refers to as extra-mile Christians, people who are willing to go the extra mile. If we choose the bare minimum and hold onto that as our hearts cry, we can expect to reap the bare minimum as well.
The second insight is that we should decide in our hearts what we will give. This means it should be thought out, prayed over and taken seriously. Often, giving becomes flippant and spontaneous, without a lot of thought or prayer going into it. Whatever we have in our pocket or whatever number pops into our head is what we end up writing on the envelope. This is not the way scripture directs us to give. If you are married, your giving should be talked about, prayed over, and agreed upon in faith. The phrasing of ‘give what you have decided to give’ also lends itself to not second-guessing yourself, but to being firm in your decisions.
The third insight is that God loves a gift given without reluctance or hesitancy. When people lack faith, they are reluctant. If people lack courage, they hesitate. Whenever we hesitate, it allows a chance for our flesh to speak lies to our head, heart, and hands. When we bring a financial gift to God through the local church, there should be no reluctance or hesitation within us because we’ve already decided in advance to do what is right and honoring to God. It’s no longer up for debate.
The fourth insight from today’s passage is that giving should never be done by compulsion, force or manipulation. That is not God’s way. A sacrifice cannot be forced. It must be given from a place of free will. Gratitude cannot be forced, or it ceases to be gratitude. Love cannot be forced or manipulated. If it is forced, then it stops being what it was intended to be. A gift becomes theft. Generosity becomes confiscation. Free will becomes coercion. God does not treat us this way, and we should also treat Him in that way. Any church or individual who would use manipulation or force to gain greater wealth is not a true representative of God and should be treated as such.
The final point is that our attitude towards giving should always be one that is cheerful and full of joy; never downcast, anxious, bitter, or angry. What good is it to bring a gift to God but not have the right heart in doing it? God sees your heart and knows the motivations surrounding each gift. If your heart is not right, don’t give until it is. Make it a priority to get your heart right and in alignment with God, then bring your gift with the right spirit. The opposite of the type of giving God desires is done reluctantly, with reservations, anxiousness, and not with joy. This is sad, because honoring God with the first fruits of your increase should be a joyful experience. A privilege we get to participate in and not an obligation we have to participate in. Tithing should not be something we dread or see through anxious or fearful eyes, but should be something we look forward to and approach with a joyful heart.
Let’s be people who leave a legacy of giving with a cheerful heart!
Anyone who is a parent of two or more children has probably seen this scene play out hundreds of times. One child gets in trouble for hitting their sibling, and they give a half-hearted, mumbled apology, you know wasn’t coming from a place of true sorrow. They said the right words with their mouths, but in their heart they weren’t sorry at all. We do this same type of thing with God. We do or say the right thing, but our hearts aren’t in the right place, while when we do it. At some point, we’ve all done this with worship, prayer, serving, and giving.
God isn’t just concerned with the amount you give or when you give, or even the amount you pray, serve, or worship. God is more concerned with how you give, pray, serve, or worship. The method is very important to God. It matters to Him even when it doesn’t matter to us. In giving, for example, there are many Christians who believe that as long as they are being obedient and going through the motions in the correct way, the method or circumstances surrounding your gift don’t matter. This is not true. Today’s passage is one of many which records some very specific instructions concerning how we are to bring our gifts to God.
The first thing we see from today’s passage is that God prefers for us to give generously over sparingly. This may be obvious, but it’s surprising how many people who claim to love God still attempt to do the absolute bare minimum when it comes to honoring and serving God. A bare minimum mindset is not what we are called to live out as followers of Christ. Seeking to do the bare minimum in serving, giving and helping others is never an accurate reflection of our God. Instead of the bare minimum, we should instead seek to be what scripture refers to as extra-mile Christians, people who are willing to go the extra mile. If we choose the bare minimum and hold onto that as our hearts cry, we can expect to reap the bare minimum as well.
The second insight is that we should decide in our hearts what we will give. This means it should be thought out, prayed over and taken seriously. Often, giving becomes flippant and spontaneous, without a lot of thought or prayer going into it. Whatever we have in our pocket or whatever number pops into our head is what we end up writing on the envelope. This is not the way scripture directs us to give. If you are married, your giving should be talked about, prayed over, and agreed upon in faith. The phrasing of ‘give what you have decided to give’ also lends itself to not second-guessing yourself, but to being firm in your decisions.
The third insight is that God loves a gift given without reluctance or hesitancy. When people lack faith, they are reluctant. If people lack courage, they hesitate. Whenever we hesitate, it allows a chance for our flesh to speak lies to our head, heart, and hands. When we bring a financial gift to God through the local church, there should be no reluctance or hesitation within us because we’ve already decided in advance to do what is right and honoring to God. It’s no longer up for debate.
The fourth insight from today’s passage is that giving should never be done by compulsion, force or manipulation. That is not God’s way. A sacrifice cannot be forced. It must be given from a place of free will. Gratitude cannot be forced, or it ceases to be gratitude. Love cannot be forced or manipulated. If it is forced, then it stops being what it was intended to be. A gift becomes theft. Generosity becomes confiscation. Free will becomes coercion. God does not treat us this way, and we should also treat Him in that way. Any church or individual who would use manipulation or force to gain greater wealth is not a true representative of God and should be treated as such.
The final point is that our attitude towards giving should always be one that is cheerful and full of joy; never downcast, anxious, bitter, or angry. What good is it to bring a gift to God but not have the right heart in doing it? God sees your heart and knows the motivations surrounding each gift. If your heart is not right, don’t give until it is. Make it a priority to get your heart right and in alignment with God, then bring your gift with the right spirit. The opposite of the type of giving God desires is done reluctantly, with reservations, anxiousness, and not with joy. This is sad, because honoring God with the first fruits of your increase should be a joyful experience. A privilege we get to participate in and not an obligation we have to participate in. Tithing should not be something we dread or see through anxious or fearful eyes, but should be something we look forward to and approach with a joyful heart.
Let’s be people who leave a legacy of giving with a cheerful heart!