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. 

Just as most professional athletes and others of wealth, golfers on Tour have their own foundation or charitable cause in which they support with a portion of their earnings. The Tour itself is also very active in giving generously to charities at many of the tournaments held around the country.

Many church members don’t like to talk about tithing or the responsibility to do so. We try our best to negotiate away our duty to give the church a portion of our income. Some months we tell ourselves, “we had a refrigerator or washing go out of the house causing an unnecessary expense to the house.” Thus, we allow ourselves to give the church less that month to offset the unexpected Lowe’s bill.

We are to be cheerful givers. A cheerful giver is someone who doesn’t do so grudgingly. As we talked about yesterday, we worship God joyfully and not under an obligation. Similarly, our giving is not to be in a spirit of servitude or compulsion. It is to be done from the heart. No particular amount is contemplated in the scripture quoted above.

Not all our our giving is to be from our pockets. We have a responsibility to give our time earnestly to God and His house. Thankfully, our church has members who are capable carpenters and mechanics who save the church a considerable amount of money by offering their skills. Others offer to lead classes, drive the church van, mow the grass, cut obstructing trees, and clean the building.

God’s entire system was based upon cheerful giving. Salvation, justification, sanctification, redemption, and the gifts we are bestowed all came from a cheerful giver. Grace is God’s unmerited favor. Similarly, gifts are not given on the basis of the recipient’s work. We are recipients of everything we treasure as a believer because of a cheerful giver.

A cheerful giver reflects the Spirit of God. He gave his only Son and did so without regret. He knew it was necessary for the salvation of mankind. No good works or deeds can change the love he bestowed upon us as a people. He loves us no more or no less because of anything we may do. A lady who was exiting a downtown hotel was approached by a man in need asking for some spare change. The lady gave him a couple hundred dollars and the gracious man told her, “God bless you!” She replied that God had never given her anything. The man was stunned and wondered how such a thing could ever be thought much less said. She then explained, “God hasn’t given me anything because I consider it all still His!”