Be a Cheerful Giver Gloria Copeland 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 (that is, 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.... And God is able to make all grace(every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance. – 2 Corinthians 9:7-8 Some people say you need to give till it hurts. Dont you believe it. God doesnt want gifts given in pain. He wants gifts given in joy! In fact, those are the only kinds of gifts that please Him. Thats why He tacked His promise of abundance onto His command about cheerful giving. The two are connected. Cheerful, full of faith, even hilarious, giving--that is the key that unlocks the treasure house of God. Have you ever seen a group of people give that way? I have. Ill never forget it. I was at a camp meeting years ago when offering time turned into a spontaneous, supernatural celebration. Ken was singing Cast your bread upon the waters, and the people were just dancing their way down the aisles to give their money. The joy in that place was wonderful. Great healings and miracles were done that night. But what stood out to me above all was how joyously and hilariously the people brought their offerings to God. The offering wasnt extracted from them like a dentist extracts teeth. It was brought forth gladly. The concept of giving till it hurts didnt come from God. He would rather you give $10 with that kind of joy than $20 grudgingly. In 2 Corinthians 8:11-12, the Apostle Paul urges the church in Corinth to give with eager willingness. Eager willingness. Thats what God looks for! If you havent given that way in the past, make a firm commitment to start. Repent for the times youve given grudgingly. Then spend some serious time with God and His Word in your prayer closet, so when you give again, you can give from a willing heart. Put the pain of giving behind. Become a cheerful, joyous, prompt-to-do-it giver, and believe me, your blessings will abound! Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 © 1992 Eagle Mountain International Church aka Kenneth Copeland Publications All rights reserved.
Posted on: Wed, 30 Apr 2014 09:10:39 +0000
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