That’s all God wants is my money! That’s all I ever hear preachers saying, “give, give, give!” I’m not doing it!
Errr... that’s okay.
Wait. What???
Yeah, it’s okay if you don’t give. God doesn’t need your money. That’s not what He’s after.
Okay, then, what’s He after?
You.
He’s got me. I’m a Christian!
Umm, okay.
Let’s talk about 2 Corinthians 9:7 a minute. No, wait, before we do, allow me to share with you the Amplified Version of it. The AMP translates the original languages with more than one English word in many places. There are times when a Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic word means much more than the one English word generally used.
Let each one give as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves (He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, "prompt to do it") giver whose heart is in his giving.
Shouldn’t our love for God be described this way? To say we love Him, meaning that we take pleasure in Him? We prize Him above other things? We are unwilling to abandon or do without Him?
As a believer in Jesus Christ, why wouldn’t you give? To the church, to charities, to your fellow human? You have been given so much. So much. Oh, I get it, you may not have much in the way of material things, but you have LIFE. Abundant life, according to Jesus. (How we warped humans have messed the meaning of THAT verse up!)
If we are focused on how we don’t have enough money to give, that money likely holds a higher place in our heart and mind than God does.
If we are reluctant to give our time in service to God and the people He loves, our time likely sits on a higher throne than God does.
Actually, the one we’ve placed on the throne isn’t time or money. It’s US. We have set ourselves up as the god of our lives.
Oh, Believer, examine you today. Allow God to take pleasure in you, to prize you above other things, to be unwilling to abandon or do without you. Become a cheerful, joyous, “prompt to do it” giver with your heart in your giving.
Coffee, Bible, Journal.
