God Loves a Cheerful Giver--Is that you?

Scripture:  2 Corinthians 9:1-8

Administering the Gift

9 Now concerning the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you; ² for I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal has stirred up the majority. ³ Yet I have sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this respect, that, as I said, you may be ready; ⁴ lest if some Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we (not to mention you!) should be ashamed of this confident boasting. ⁵ Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation.

The Cheerful Giver

⁶ But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. ⁷ So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

As is sometimes the case, as I receive a Word for myself, I am led to share with others.  Today is the day the Lord decided to speak to me about giving.

 

See, I am often offering—sometimes promising—the Lord something.  Often, it is due to a sense of excitement based on something I see someone else doing.  For example, I may go to an anointed worship concert—led by an amazing worship leader—and find myself wanting to write songs that I know is going to be used to bless people in worship.  Never mind that I do not sing.  I may see the enthusiasm, someone else has, as they serve the homeless hot meals on Saturday night.  Watching them, I may find myself feeling as though I need to do more to feed the homeless.  It’s not that I am a follower, believe me.  Many will say I am bit strange, in fact.  I’ve always been a loner (sometimes willingly, sometimes unwillingly).  I’ve always been a bit different in my style of dress—when everyone in my life was getting waist-length weaves, I was chopping off my processed hair and locking it—much to the dismay of my mother.  When my friends were listening to rapper L’il Kim and Foxy Brown, and decided to dress as they did—wearing all the labels their little checks could afford them—I found myself evolving into the bohemian, Afrocentric type—complete with long skirts, African head wraps, and facial piercings.  They were Lil Kim; I was Erykah Badu.  I was every bit the “Ethnocultural Feminist Spoken Word Artist” in the 1990s! Thank God for evolving me out of all of that mess. 

Tangent, I know.  I just want to illustrate that I am not a follower, is all. 

Anyway, what I am talking about is not about “following” but “zeal.”  I, as a Christian, will sometimes become inspired by what others are doing.  As a result, I may be excited about wanting to do it as well.  Next thing I know, I am telling the Lord that I will also start making more effort to feed the homeless; to write songs of worship; or even write that Christian play, for the youth ministry, that I've been thinking about for five years.

That is what one of the first pastors, Paul, is addressing in the Church of Corinth.  In the scripture above, Paul is addressing the initial eagerness of the church members that fell flat.  When the Corinthians first heard the Gospel, they became so filled with zeal, so eager to please, that they began to boast and make promises to begin a ministry of fundraising.  They were so eager, in fact, that Paul—as their first real spiritual leader—began boasting about the members of the Corinthian Church to other developing churches, including the Church at Macedonia.  Yes, Paul was so very proud of the Corinthians for being willing, for making such promises to assist in fundraising efforts…

Except they never actually followed through!

In this passage, we see that Paul had to use a little reverse psychology to stir up the Corinthians’ zeal and eagerness.  He had to remind them of how they’d been at the beginning of their walk with Christ.  He had to remind them that they had, as new Christians, pledged to begin working for the Lord with the fundraising ministry they’d promised.  He even had to remind them that as Christians, they needed to beware of the possibility that members of the Macedonian Church could arrive in Corinth and find [them] unprepared.  Of course, that would cause both Paul and the Corinthians to be ashamed—embarrassed—of their “confident boasting” (vs. 4).  After all, should Christians make promises and not keep them?  Paul goes on to remind the Corinthians that their pledge to give—in this case through fundraising—was a matter of generosity and not grudging obligation (vs. 5).  In verses 6-8, Paul reminds the members of the Corinthian Church that they will reap what they sow (vs. 6), and that God expects us to give back to Him—and His people—out of a willing heart (vs. 7).  Lastly, Paul reminds us, in verse 8, that the result of “cheerful giving” will be that God will cause “all grace to abound” towards the members of the Corinthian Church.

The Lord ministered to me this morning.   He reminded me, as I am reminding you, that we harvest in exact proportion to what we plant.  The law of reaping and sowing is God’s perfect will.  We ought to give according to what is purposed in our heart to give.  I believe when Paul says to give what is in our heart to give, he is not only speaking of a decision we make.  I believe Paul is speaking of the decision God has already made, and has planted in our heart to do.  Now, sometimes it has to be a private “decision”—that is left between you and God—at least at first.  I believe that because many believers will only give of themselves—whether in service or with finances—when they are sure they will receive validation in return.

Now, I am not trying to be a hypocrite here.  I am aware that some types of Godly “giving” or ministry efforts (which is also giving) will involve some form of validation, and encouragement, from other members of God’s Kingdom.  A pastor, for example, will share a Word from the Lord, and will ask for a witness, or for someone to agree (Amen?).  A worship leader will want to see how the worship is impacting the brethren.  It wouldn’t do for that leader to be singing songs to the Lord, only to find a bunch of dead logs in the pews, giving the choir pinched looks.  And a Christian writer (“ahem”), one may want to know that the story or blog post, he or she may have been led to write, did lead someone to Christ.  However, validation should not be the reason you decide to give—whether it be of your finances, your talents, or gifts that the Lord gave you to use for His glory.  If validation is the reason, your ministry giving will not last a moment—believe me!  Someone will always show up with negative feedback or a supposed “word from the Lord that you are headed in the wrong direction” that is a counterfeit from the devil himself!   Validation or success cannot be your expectation—even if the Lord does choose to bless you with that to encourage you or financially provide for you.

When you think of giving—with finances or service—remember you’re not really “giving” at all.  It is God who first provided the money, the singing voice, the ability to cook, the car, or the gift of healing hands.  What you’re really doing—if you stop and consider the Lord’s grace and power—is simply sharing what He gave you to use.  If you are simply sharing your gift or resources—are you really giving up anything?  No!  Why?  

"’Cause it don’t really belong to you, no way! It all belongs to God!”

As I speak to those the Spirit of Jesus has led to read this blog, I will be praying about God’s desires for me to give in additional ways.  Don’t think He’s impressed by my writing a couple of amateur romance novels—“hardy har har.”  The Lord is often leading me into new territories—the ones I once said I felt led to do; and especially the ones I don’t really want to do!  Pray for me as I seek the Lord about how we wants to use me not only as a writer, but with the ministry He gave me first--prayer ministry and evangelism.  I had a vision of it years ago, but am just now going to work towards it.  I may have forgotten what I told God—but He does not! 

So my question to you is this:  is there anything the Lord has been placing on your heart to give?  Perhaps it was something you were once so eager to give—especially when you first got to know Jesus Christ as Savior and were full of zeal?  Perhaps it was something you felt inspired to do,or give, when God used someone else as an example to you—as Paul used the Corinthian Church as an example to the Macedonian Church.

Alright, lemme keep it real.  Perhaps it is something that you don’t want to do, but nonetheless, God has placed the burden on your heart to do it anyway—for His purpose.

What is in your heart to give right now?  Remember, the Lord loves a cheerful giver.  If there is something the Lord is leading you to do or give, ask the Holy Spirit to restore that vision in your heart, so you can be put to good use.  It’s one thing to encourage and support others in their giving, but God has a unique purpose for you as well.  Remember, you won’t be giving up anything; you’ll be merely sharing what God has already provided—or is developing within you—for the specific purpose of bringing glory to the Name of Jesus.  And that same God will make “all grace abound towards you” as we see in verse 8.  You will receive—one way or another—the unmerited favor of God.  It may not be right away, or in the way you thought, but God keeps His promises. 

Prayer for Today:  Father in Heaven, I thank You for Your Gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ.  I thank You for the indwelling and baptism of the Holy Spirit.  I thank You for the gifts and resources You have placed in my hands for Your glory.  I confess that I may have started out with zeal, but I have failed to follow through with, or obey, the call You have placed in my heart.  I ask Your forgiveness for not making use of Your gifts in obedience.  I ask You now, Lord, for a fresh Baptism of the Holy Spirit.  I ask that You stir up my gifts, and resources, that may be put to Your use, for Your glory.  Jesus, I ask that You confirm Your call on my life, so that I may give what You desire me to give and fulfill my purpose.  I will trust You to equip me, to provide for me, and to make all grace abound towards me as I fulfill Your purpose for my life as a Christian.  Please use me and help me to be a cheerful giver in Your way—not for personal validation and success, although You may choose to provide that to me.  If success comes, cause me to give that back to You, for Your purpose, as well.  Please use me for Your glory.  In Jesus’  Name, thank You, amen.