Each
one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or
under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2nd
Corinthians 9:7)
Once
in checking out a new church I was shocked when the minister said,
“We're going to pass the offering basket. If anyone is in need
feel free to take from it as it goes by, and if you don't want to
give from your heart, keep your money. We don't want it.” It took a moment for me to recover from my shock.
I
grew up in a church denomination that could be somewhat insensitive
to the giving of tithes or involvement in programs. I've seen every
gimmick possible to guilt or bully parishioners into offering their
time or pledging their money. The word 'cheerful' here in the Greek
is
hilaros
from which our word 'hilarious' comes. But the idea here is not so
much giving in a comical or uproarious sense but with a bright and
merry attitude.
No
one is pleased when someone shows them a begrudging attitude. And we're fooling ourselves to think God is pleased with it. If a person has to do anything with a resentful
heart it's better not to do it at all.
Being
pressured into doing anything only leads to frustration and
resentment. That often festers when a person cannot say “No” to
pressure and intimidation. They allow their outward “Yes” to be
an internal “No.” Let every person decide in their heart what is
appropriate in their circumstance to give what they will and God is OK with that.
The
key is remembering whatever we do in word
or deed
do it in the name of the LORD Jesus with thanks to God the Father
through Him (Colossians 3:17). God loves a cheerful giver. Perhaps
according a little hilarity to the heart might be a good thing after
all? It can make for a bright and merry outcome. Hilariously
speaking.
Ken
