Why does the Bible instruct the followers of God to give? It is not because God needs our money. He owns everything and has no need. He even said, “If I needed anything, I wouldn’t ask you!” It is also not because the church needs it. The church does need the people who are a part of it to give, but it is sustained by God. The church I visited in the bush of northern Kenya last month has no “budget” to speak of, but its founder and its sustainer is God.
No, the reason why we are called on to give is so that we will learn to be like the giver, God himself.
God gave more than we could ever imagine and certainly ever repay when he gave his Son to the world as a sacrifice for sin. Will we learn to love like that through our own giving? Will we also learn to do so cheerfully? Because here’s an interesting truth from Scripture: God loves a cheerful giver.
I don’t think that is exactly what Paul had in mind. But wait. What does that mean, “God loves a cheerful giver?” God loves everybody, right? So why did Paul say this? I was praying about that last week, and my mind went to Jesus’ words, “true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth: for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.” God seeks those who worship him in spirit and truth. God loves a cheerful giver. If God seeks worshippers, I want to be found by him doing just that. If God loves cheerful givers, I want to be loved by him doing just that. That will require faith.
It’s easy to sing “Take My Life and Let it Be,” and even the verse that says, “Take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I withhold …” but it is much harder to live that song. It requires faith. And obedience.
How about you? Are you learning to love like God does through faithful and cheerful giving?