"So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Cor. 9:7).
People in the church give money for all kinds of reasons, many of them wrong. They give because they need to appease their conscience. Often, they do not give out of their abundance but just enough to make themselves feel better. Some give grudgingly. They refuse to believe God’s promise that “he who scatters, increases.” They see giving as a loss of wealth, not as a gain. Others give because they think that by their service they can win favor with God. This is works-righteousness. Like the Pharisees, they give a tenth of everything, deluding themselves that by their diligence they will be saved. Still others give only when pressured by the church leadership. They give when there is a fund-raising drive for the new building, or they only give when a missionary visits and asks for money.
Too often church leaders pressure people to give out of necessity. There is a fine line between educating your people on the need to give and pressuring them to give because the church has gotten itself into a financial bind. The best lesson on how to walk that line is given to us in the person of Paul. He educated his people on the duty and privilege of giving, but he realized that it means nothing unless the people give because they want to give.
If Christians are faithful to give out of their abundance, according to their means, and with a right heart, they will be blessed. The blessings spoken of here are not only spiritual but temporal. Those who sow abundantly will reap abundantly. This, however, must not be taken as an absolute rule. The promises of increase teach at least three things. First, righteousness tends to produce blessing. This is the tendency of evil to produce misery. Second, God in His providence does, as a general rule, bless the righteous with prosperity. Third, righteousness in this life produces more good than unrighteousness. A righteous man is happier than a wicked man, other things being equal. A good man finds joy amid sorrow, whereas a wicked man does not. It is, therefore, a general rule established by God that he who scatters, increases. He that gives will be given more so that he can do the Lord’s work. But, as in all acts of service, we must act willingly and lovingly not grudgingly or under compulsion.
What motivates you to give to your church? Be honest with yourself and with God. If you give for any other reason than because you love the Lord and want to please Him and serve His people, confess that today. If you have not done so, evaluate your resources and give regularly out of the abundance with which God has blessed you.
