PASTOR'S PERSPECTIVES: DOES YOUR GIVING BRING YOU JOY?

If God loves a cheerful giver, are you having fun? Most of us find it hard to believe the idea that joy is found in giving, yet the message of the gospel is that we discover abundant life by giving of ourselves in every way.

Most of our churches are in the midst of the annual stewardship drive. Unfortunately, the requests for money often collide with the holiday of Thanksgiving. Many people find it difficult to give thanks while pledging to meet a church budget, yet with the right spirit, it's not only possible, it's easily attainable.

I heard of a pastor who challenged his congregation to increase their giving to a full 10 percent tithe of their income. He offered a "double-your-money" guarantee. If you tithed and did not discover God's joyful spirit, you were entitled to twice the amount of money you gave to the church.

Ten families in his congregation accepted his challenge and not one of them asked for their money back. Only one family quit tithing the next year.

The Apostle Paul wrote the church in Corinth, saying, "I want you to be the leaders also in the spirit of cheerful giving." (2 Corinthians 8:7, Living Translation.)

As Paul wrote these words, he was asking the Corinthian congregation to step up their giving to match the congregation at Macedonia. The Macedonian church was poor, but their giving was extremely generous, more than they could afford. In their giving, they gave for the sheer joy of helping other Christians (2 Corinthians 8:4).

I've heard the rationale that people don't tithe or won't increase their giving because they have existing needs and financial commitments. They have a house payment, a car payment, charge accounts, retirement funds and their children's college tuition.

They say they would tithe if they had more income. But isn't it interesting how more income always finds more expenses. It's a matter of priorities, for we all have expenses. The Macedonians didn't have much money, but their priority was in helping others, even when they were hard pressed to meet their own needs.

The secret to the Macedonian's joy is found in verse 5, "Their first action was to dedicate themselves to the Lord." That's the key to being a cheerful giver. Until you dedicate yourself to Jesus Christ, your giving will always seem like losing. Your heart will not count what you have left, but only focus on what you lost.

If you struggle every time the church asks for money, if you cringe at the cost of denominational assessments, if you think missions is a waste of money, if putting a dollar in the offering plate makes you wish you stayed home that day, then you need to consider your relationship to Jesus Christ.

Generosity creates an environment of joy, but if you're laying up your treasure on earth and struggle to part with a portion of it for God's work, then you have the wrong basis from which to give. What you make your priority indicates where your heart lies (Matthew 6:21).

When we live out of a spirit of thanksgiving for receiving the grace of Jesus Christ, we discover what's really important.

Before you consider how much to give, I would suggest you ask yourself, "How does giving make me feel?"

Are you having fun?

Grant F.C. Gillard is pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Jackson.