Today’s Verse—2 Corinthians 9:7
You should each give what you have decided in your heart to
give. You shouldn’t give if you don’t want to. You shouldn’t
give because you are forced to. God loves a cheerful giver.
Brian Kluth, author of the best-selling book You Are Invited on a 40 Day Spiritual Journey to a More Generous Life, was interviewed by NBC television. The reporter asked him, “So, do you think God wants everyone rich?”
Kluth said, “No, I don’t believe that.”
The reporter said, “Then what do you believe?”
Kluth responded, “I believe that everyone needs to learn to become more generous with whatever God has given them.”
“Well, didn’t your book becoming a best seller make you rich?”
Kluth said, “No, it helped me become more generous!”
The Bible says that “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). Brian Kluth is obviously one of those.
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To serve Jesus with all of our hearts, we must not put our “stuff” ahead of Him. We must have a spirit of generosity. In the Odyssey episode “For Three Dollars More” (album 56), Barrett wondered what good his three dollars were going to do if he gave it to the church. Three dollars couldn’t build a new children’s wing at the church. It couldn’t send a missionary to Africa.
What Barrett learned is that giving money isn’t just about helping the church or missionaries. It’s about developing a spirit of generosity and getting into the habit of giving. It’s about acquiring the desire to help others who are less fortunate than we are. Giving isn’t a natural thing. We have to be taught—or we have to teach ourselves. But a spirit of generosity is so much better than a spirit of greed.
Loquacious Learning with Eugene
Surveys consistently find that 65 to 85 percent of all American adults give to charitable organizations and that the average American gives around $1,900 per year to charity. Giving to others, whether through a church or a charity, is a way to show that we understand the value of sharing.
Daily Challenge
This week, give over and above what you would normally give to church or to others. Find some change in the couch cushions, or shake a little out of your piggy bank. Be generous!
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Giving Theme Memory Verse—Acts 20:35, by the apostle Paul
In everything I did, I showed you that we must work hard and help the weak. We must remember the words of the Lord Jesus. He said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”