Giving

II Cor. 9:7

            “every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly, or of necessity. For God loveth a cheerful giver”. Many more passages could be cited, that refers to our giving. We are told in this verse to be, “cheerful givers”. We are to give freely, not grudgingly. This is the one whom God loves.

            In Mark 12:41-44, “and Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast in money into the treasury. And many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, verily I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast more in than all they which have cast into the treasury. For all they did cast in of their abundance. But she of want did cast in all that she had, even all her living”. Want in Vs. “to suffer need”. By this suffering of being in need, Christ said, “being in want did cast in all that she had, even all her living. What is difference in what Christ observed about the widow in comparison to what the others gave? What can we learn?

1.     They have given of their abundance, what they did not need. They could afford to do it, and still not be denied of nothing in life. The widow gave of her want, her poverty. All her living and all that she lived on, she trusted God would supply her wants, and devoted what little property she had to him

2.     God is pleased with offerings made to him.

3.     That is our duty to devote our property to God. We received it from him, and we will not use it in the proper manner unless we feel we are his stewards, and what we shall do with it.

4.     That the highest evidence of love is not the amount given, but the amount compared to our means.

5.     That It may be proper to give all our means to God and to depend on his providence to supply our wants.

6.     That God does despise the humblest of offerings if made in sincerity. God loves a cheerful give. II Cor. 9:7

7.     It is man’s duty to ask himself, not to how much he gives, but how much compared to what he has. How much self-denial he practices, and what is the motive by which it is done.

8.     It may be that very few practice self-denial for the purpose of charity (love). Most give of their abundance. That is, what they spare with feeling it. Among of the thousands who give, how many can say they deny themselves of any comfort, pleasure in life, that they may advance the Kingdom of God?

                - CL Bruner