Weekly Inspiration

Tuesday ~ November 10, 2009

1 Corinthians 9:7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

Weekly Inspiring Thought: Give from your heart, not from guilt trips.

Weekly Reflection: Do you allow others to dictate what manner you should give or do you
give from the heart God gave you?

Many Christians get sucked into the great debate on "The correct amount to give" and in "what form". Many Christians have totally missed the mark on what it means to give. So many get caught up on - "do I give a tenth of everything I own"? In actuality, if you do research, in the Old Testament, people gave from their crops and livestock and took it to the storehouse (church) so all of GOD's people (believers) never lacked or wanted. The point of giving is so none lack - food, clothing and shelter. It isn't about lining someone's pockets. It is making sure we all have the necessities (needs met). God blesses us with money to help each other, not to grow interest in a bank account. If you don't believe me, then what is your definition of Good Fruit? While you stack your paper and you pass the homeless on the streets, daily, who are you helping besides yourself? If you are more concerned with helping (kindness, love) others in any way you can, that is bearing good fruit (Galatians 5:22). If you are only concerned with helping yourself and your immediate family that is bearing bad fruit (Galatians 5:19-21).

When you allow people to tell you that you must (like it is necessary and God does not want necessity) give ten percent, and you do not believe that is what God is telling you and you give that anyway, knowing you are taking food from your household, you are allowing man to dictate what you do, and when you do what you believe is not right you are sinning. When you do so under distress and pressure, there is no cheer in that. God wants a cheerful giver. Why? Because He is not a forceful God. If you give from your heart and because you want to, you will give out of the abundance that you have. If you honestly believe that money is all you have to give then you really don't know God. People who are unemployed or people on 'fixed' incomes do not have money to give. So, does this make them exempt from giving? No. Why? Because they have time to give. So, if you don't always have the money to give, you have time to go volunteer at shelters, soup kitchens, visit the sick in the hospital, the prisoners, the widow on your street. we all have things we can give out of the abundance (time, talents, money) that God has blessed us with.

It isn't the amount of what we give and don't give or form we choose to give in, that saves us. Jesus saves us by His Mercy and Grace and Jesus said He does not want sacrifice, He wants mercy (Hosea 6:6; Matthew 9:13; Matthew 12:7). Give from what you have and you will be cheerful and God will be pleased. Amen.


Shannon E. Robinson
".......,fools hate knowledge"~Proverbs 1:22
"Ignorance is not an excuse...library cards are free."

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." ~JOHN 14:6