When I reminded my friend that his 39th birthday was just around the
corner, he declared that he didn’t want any presents. Yeah,
right, I thought, and I continued to press him for gift ideas. That’s
when he told me he wanted to give away the money we would have spent on his
birthday.
The Bible calls us to give willingly—not grudgingly or of necessity—to
support God’s work and to help people (2 Cor. 9:7). This kind of freewill giving often results in joy for the giver. When
King David donated his personal stash of gold and silver to help build the temple,
many Israelite officials followed his example. After they contributed bronze,
iron, gemstones, and precious metal, “the people rejoiced, for they had offered
willingly” (1 Chron. 29:9).
As part of the celebration, David praised God, saying, “Of Your own we
have given You” (v.14). His point was that God owns everything. Remembering
this allows us to give eagerly, because we are just returning our resources to
their rightful owner—God Himself.
The next time you contribute cash, services, or belongings to support
the cause of Christ, examine your attitude. Are you giving freely and
willingly? God loves a cheerful giver.
How we give is more important than how much we give. (RBC)
