|
|
Two Kinds Of Givers
God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:7 NIV
There are two kinds of givers: those who give what's left over, and
those who give off the top. The first group isn't necessarily greedy; they
just operate by different principles. They see themselves as being
responsible for meeting their own needs, so whatever's leftover goes to
God's work. The problem with giving leftovers is that your generosity
can never exceed your ability to meet your own needs. The moment
you face financial uncertainty, generosity takes a back seat. God says
He wants you to be "a cheerful giver." But if your heart is occupied
solely with meeting your own needs, how can you heed God's call to be
generous.
On the other hand, those who give "off the top" understand that God
owns and controls it all, so they feel free to invest in His interests first
and their own second. Leftover givers always struggle to let go in this
area. They've heard the sermons, read the verses and listened to the
testimonies. But they've families to feed, retirements to fund and
markets to second guess so they hold back, afraid they can't manage all
their financial responsibilities and give to God's work too.
Fear has the power to make you act contrary to your beliefs. In
essence, fear makes you irrational. Isn't it rational to trust God with
your finances, since all of it belongs to Him? Isn't it rational to trust
God with something that's beyond your control anyway? Isn't it
irrational to trust God with your eternal destiny, yet reject His invitation
to be your financial partner?
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
