II Corinthians 9:1-15
Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (v. 7) In my comments from last year I discussed God loves a cheerful giver. In my many years as treasurer at St. Andrew’s I have had a major focus on the revenue side of our budget while Todd has focused on the expenditures side. And as I have analyzed our revenues and reported on them to the Vestry and to the congregation I can say with absolute certainty that the rest of us also love cheerful givers! When I can report pledge amounts year by year exceeding the previous year’s pledges, when I can report that pledged givers as a whole have exceeded their combined total pledge amount, when I can report that unpledged amounts have shot far above our budgeted numbers – when I can report these positive outcomes, I see joy in the faces of those listening to my reports. So yes, God loves a cheerful giver, but the rest of us do also! So bring joy to all of us – give cheerfully!!
See also: June 1 / II Cor. 9:1-15
What a wonderful blessing it is to give! We do this out of thanks to God, and receive prayers from our Christian fellowship. Not renown or fame, but joy. I have been looking at church websites lately. And I am thankful to say that St. Andrew’s section on ministries and mission are just a tip of the iceberg of our giving of time, talent, and money.