Some
people say you need to “give till it hurts.” Don’t you believe it. God
doesn’t want gifts given in pain. He wants gifts given in joy! In fact,
those are the only kinds of gifts that please Him.
That’s why He tacked His promise of abundance onto His command about cheerful giving. The two are connected.
Cheerful,
full of faith, even hilarious giving—that is the key that unlocks the
treasure house of God. Have you ever seen a group of people give that
way? I have. I’ll never forget it. I was at a camp meeting years ago
when offering time turned into a spontaneous, supernatural celebration.
Ken was singing
Bread Upon the Water, and the people were just
dancing their way down the aisles to give their money. The joy in that
place was glorious. Great healings and miracles were done that night.
But
what stood out to me above all was how joyously and hilariously the
people brought their offerings to God. The offering wasn’t extracted
from them like a dentist extracts teeth. It was brought forth gladly.
The
concept of “giving till it hurts” didn’t come from God. He’d rather you
give 10 dollars with that kind of joy than 20 dollars grudgingly. In 2
Corinthians 8:11-12, the Apostle Paul urges the church in Corinth to
give with
eager willingness. Eager willingness. That’s what God looks for!
If
you haven’t given that way in the past, make a firm commitment to
start. Repent for the times you’ve given grudgingly. Then spend some
serious time with God and His Word in your prayer closet, so when you
give again, you can give from a willing heart.
Put the “pain” of giving behind. Become “a cheerful, (joyous, ‘prompt to do it’) giver,” and believe me, your blessings will abound!
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