« Stewardship Devotional
Day Ten - A Cheerful Giver
2 Corinthians 9:7 “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
Read
2 Corinthians 9:6-15
Apply
When Christians give, as we saw yesterday, they give motivated by grace. A reluctant gift or a guilt-manipulated gift is not generosity. It’s paying a “God tax,” it’s fulfilling an obligation. A generous lifestyle, however, is a life of freedom, of simplicity, of joy, of fruitfulness, of purpose. There is a satisfaction to pleasing God, to bringing joy and honor to him.
A Christian should smile as they give, they should want to give. We should see giving like a roller coaster ride: it feels adventurous and risky, but it’s really safe. We think we are going to plummet, but God holds onto us tightly (9:8). Anything that much fun becomes contagious. Many Christians experience that thrill; once they make giving a priority, it becomes more and more joyful.
- Is giving money a-way fun for you? If yes, then when did that joy begin? If not, then why not?
- Do you desire to give more than you do now (see yesterday’s passage)? What stops you from giving?
Pray
Pray for a renewed lifestyle that expresses grace, that holds onto possessions loosely, that finds joy in giving.
Do
As you give, either on Sunday or at another time, use the act of giving as a specific act of worship.
Copyright 1997. Redeemer Presbyterian Church of New York City