12-3-2017

Good Morning All,

                   2 Corinthians 9:7; “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

      God loves a cheerful giver; makes you want to grab your wallet and run sometimes, doesn’t it.  That is ok, you can feel that way.  For far too often this verse is used to “encourage” a bigger check in the offering plate.  This verse sometimes gets used because when people see the offering plate coming and they look in their wallet and they see a $20 bill, a $5 bill and a $1bill, they at least go past the single.  It is no wonder this verse causes us to clench up when we hear it or read it; it strikes us with guilt and usually that is the intent.

     I am not suggesting that you abandon the financial support of your church.  It costs a lot of money to operate a church, especially if you have an ongoing mission commitment either locally or nationally.  So be as generous as you can, however; that is between you and God.  This verse actually speaks to much more than just the monetary side of the church; it actually applies to how you live your Christian faith in the world around you.

    We know that God has given us everything and has given it to us beyond our need and even beyond our wants.  He has poured upon us his loving kindness far above what we deserve.  He has generously given us his grace.  He has restored us to the full standing within his family by redeeming us from sin.  We are all then co-heirs with Christ.  We are blessed with the gifts of the Spirit.  We have a lot to be cheerful about but are we cheerful when we share and use these gifts or are we stingy?

   The Apostle Paul lists those gifts as love, peace, joy, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness; elsewhere he writes of humility, compassion, bearing one another’s burdens.  God gives you these; are you stingy in giving of these gifts to those around you?  Are you grumpy and demanding?  Do you look the other way when you see someone in need?  Are we cheerful, generous believers or are we stingy with God’s gifts?

    God gives us these gifts so that we might be blessed and that we might be a blessing to others.  He desires that we use these gifts to offer healing and comfort in a world that is broken and in pain.  He gives us these gifts so that we might relieve the suffering of the world and to be a bright spot in the lives of so many around us.  It might be your spouse or neighbor or someone who works in the store where you shop.  It might be the single parent across the street or the lonely elderly person who sits next to you in church.  There are many people who need you to be a cheerful giver; go and be one today.

Gracious and loving Father, give me the will to do your will and to be a cheerful giver.  Lead us to those who are suffering and in pain.  Lead us to shine brightly in this dark world.  Lead us to those who are missing the joy of life.  Guide us by your grace to bring healing.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret