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Hilarious Giving
by Debra
Shirley
In
2 Corinthians 9:7 Paul tells us, "Each man should give what he has
decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves
a cheerful giver" (NIV). In
this passage, the word "cheerful" comes from the Greek word hilaros.
Does that word sound familiar? Of
course, it means hilarious. When
was the last time that writing your offering check brought so much joy that you
actually broke into laughter? Watching
that little girl compelled me to ask, “Is God satisfied with my heart of
giving?” It
seems the older we get, the less emotional we adults become.
If we are not careful, we can view our offering as more of an obligation
than an opportunity to worship. In
his poem, The Vision of Sir Launfal, James
Russell Lowell wrote, “He gives nothing
but worthless gold who gives from a sense of duty.”
Take a moment and
examine yourself. Is your offering
presented with a reluctant heart? Are
you obligated to give by guilt or a sense of duty?
Have you lost the joy? If
you answered yes to any of the above, your next question may be, “How
do I rekindle the delight of giving and once again present my offering with a
"cheerful" heart?” 1.
Focus on why you give. You
give because He gave. Even though
His sacrifice on the cross was enough, God continues to shower us with abundant
blessings. All He asks in return is
a tithe. In Malachi 3:10, He
promises that if we do bring Him our tithes and offerings, He will pour out so
much blessing that we will not have enough room for it.
In fact, in that same verse He tells us to “test Him” in this.
Do you realize that this is a one-of-a-kind scripture?
Nowhere else in the Bible will you find God issuing a similar challenge.
Consistently throughout the Bible we are told to NOT test the Lord our
God. So, why does He tell us to test
Him in our giving? Could it be that
He is so yearning for the opportunity to bless us that He allows us this
forbidden privilege? 2.
Remember that giving is faith in action.
One
reason you give is to provide the means for your church to do whatever it takes
to bring souls to Christ. You might
call this faith in action. In
other words, you trust that your tithes will be used wisely and you watch to see
God act. I have personally witnessed
this principle in action. In 1998,
my church began a stewardship program to build larger facilities at a new
location in our neighborhood. The
challenge was for our members to give sacrificially – above and beyond their
tithe. In February 2002, we
relocated to the new building. Since
that time, we have seen tremendous growth and baptized many adults and children.
We recently completed a Family Life Center which will enable us to reach out to
our community in new and exciting ways. We expect God to do Immeasurably
more than we could ever ask or imagine in the coming years. Is there any
greater joy than seeing someone come to Jesus as Lord and Savior?
If we view our offering as a means for bringing others to Christ, giving
with a cheerful heart will come naturally. 3.
See your gift as the future of your church.
We
also need to remember that our gifts are used to provide for future generations.
Our giving today assures the church will be there throughout the lives of
the small children that run through our hallways and fill our nurseries.
It enables us to minister to all the children in our communities through
Vacation Bible School, Parent’s Night Out, Backyard Bible Clubs, and so on.
4.
Our offering can
be used for world-wide witnessing. As
commanded by Jesus in Matthew, we are to be witnesses unto all the earth.
My church is fortunate to be part of the Cooperative Program.
This Southern Baptist program provides needed funds for our missionaries
to serve both in the United States and on foreign soil.
Currently, we support over 5,100 missionaries through our offerings.
If you reflect on where your offering goes and how many people around the
world are reached because of your tithes, you will be thrilled at the prospect
of giving. 5.
Pray. Finally,
pray. Ask God to give you a
“cheerful” heart and renew the joy of giving.
Each
Sunday, I look for that little girl. I
eagerly watch as she places money in the offering plate.
I challenge you to do the same. Observe
a child as they give. Make the
decision today that you too will give your offering with a "hilarious"
heart.
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Last modified: July 06, 2007
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