There is nothing worse than being given a gift by someone who had a bad attitude about gifting it to you. Maybe they felt obliged, maybe they were doing that old ‘reciprocal gift’ thing and they are only giving you a gift because they felt obliged to do so. Whatever the case may be, their attitude stunk and it left you feeling as if you were putting them out somehow. God looks at the attitude of the heart as much as how much we put into the offering plate or how much we are generous or not generous with our time and our skills.
Video Transcript
Hi there and welcome back to Daily Bible Promises with a Twist. Today we’re going to be reading from 2 Corinthians 9:6 starting with the NIV version. “Whoever so sparingly will also reap sparingly and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”
The New American Standard Bible says about the same thing, so we’re going to do a little bit of a twist today, reading from the Message translation, and we’re going to be reading 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 “Remember, a stingy planter gets a stingy crop a lavish planter gets a lavish crop. I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving.”
I love the way that the Message Bible puts verse 6. It says, “A stingy planter gets a stingy crop, a lavish planter gets a lavish crop.” The NIV and the NASB says it a little bit more dignified. “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly.” But the Message Bible cuts to the chase. God looks at the attitude of our heart.
And everything that we do for Him; and that includes what we do with our finances and our resources, God looks at the attitude of the heart as much as how much we put into the offering plate or how much we are generous or not generous with our time and our skills. Paul understood this concept so well about the condition of our heart when we give, that he sent an advanced team to Corinth to help the church prepare their hearts and to prepare their offering so that he could that offering to poor churches that were underneath Paul’s jurisdiction.
When there is a special offering or an opportunity for you to give above what you usually give to missions or your local church, spend some time before the Lord, preparing your heart and asking Him how much He wants you to give to that special project. In that way, you’ll be safeguarding your heart and you won’t allow yourself the excuse to be a little bit surly because you’re feeling your arm is being twisted to give more than you think that you should give.
Listen to what the Lord is saying, prepare your offering in advance, and then drop that offering into your basket with complete joy because you know the harvest is going to be rich in the lives of those that you are giving it to and that you will be pleasing God’s heart because you were obedient to what He asked you to do.
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©2018 Katherine Walden
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