Cheerful Giving

A reflection and reset for where we are as a church in the area of financial stewardship.

Our 7 Heart Attitudes are how we agree to team together here as a church family doing God's work in our community and around the world. Here is:

Heart Attitude #6 Give financially to the work of the church.

God loves a cheerful giver.  God honors and blesses all kinds of giving as we grow to trust Him more. This is the message we have from God’s word about giving our resources to the work of the church. In his second letter to the church in Corinth Paul wrote, “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

I love how is he says “not reluctantly.” Our offerings should never be pried from our tightly gripped hands.  And no one should make us feel guilty or coerced into giving.

The idea is that giving is to be our joyful response to God and His mission.   We get to put our money where our heart is: toward  God’s mission to seek and save those who are lost.

From a message I preached in June of this year I am reminded of these things which please God.

What REALLY pleases God?

• Faith, earnestly seeking Him

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. 

• Cheerful Giving

2 Corinthians 9: 6 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. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written:

“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;

    their righteousness endures forever.”

10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

Here are some FACTS about giving to God’s work through His church:

1.  God doesn’t need me, you or anything
2. But God’s work goes forward through His Church: making disciples of Jesus in all world
3. Church work runs on the faith and goodwill of the people investing together for the mission

The Personal Application for Me and You:

• God invites me to trust Him. It is where real life is found: Faith
• I may invest in God’s plan through my local church where there is opportunity to see eternal dividends and experience joy now.

As we move in to the last quarter of 2016, take some time to investigate where you are in pleasing God with your resources. Would you like to invest more? Are you giving with faith? Are you making your gift with a cheerful heart?

Let’s serve the Lord together with gladness. May I do so with my time, talent, and treasure.