How to Give预览

Just give it!

One of the biggest struggles that my congregation has is keeping its generous commitments. Whenever we open the Bible and preach on giving, people check a box/sign up to volunteer/make a verbal commitment . . . which they often don’t keep. When our staff follows up to find the best time to volunteer, some emails never get opened. It’s a common but frustrating situation.

Paul faced that same challenge. His friends in Corinth had committed to giving to the poor in Jerusalem, but then they were dragging their feet. That’s why Paul wrote, “Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means” (2 Corinthians 8:10,11). Finish the work! Paul wanted his friends’ action to match their intention. God wants the same thing for all his children.

In my experience, giving is like going to the gym. I can find six dozen excuses why today isn’t a good day to go, but then, once I make myself do it, I’m glad I chose it. If you’re talking yourself out of generosity these days, maybe the simplest solution is just to give. Put God to the test (Malachi 3:10). See if it isn’t more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). In so many ways, more spiritual than financial, our Father stands by his promise that “a generous person will prosper” (Proverbs 11:25).