Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
–2 Corinthians 9:7
Years ago, a traveling circus featured a strong man who performed a well-known trick of placing a lemon inside the bend of his elbow and flexing his bicep until every single drop of lemon juice was gone. He would then ask for volunteers from the audience to see if anyone could get another drop out of that lemon.
One day, three men came to the front. The first man was average size, but couldn’t get a drop out no matter how hard he tried. The second was a huge man, but couldn’t get a drop out either. The third man was a scrawny fellow. He began to squeeze and drop after drop began coming out of the lemon.
The strong man was amazed. “I’ve never seen anything like that,” he said. “Tell us about yourself. What do you do?”
The little fellow chuckled and said, “Well, I’m a church treasurer. I do this all the time!”
Whether you believe it or not, most churches aren’t after your money. Yes, there are some swindlers out there just looking to make a buck. But the vast majority of churches simply want to do the ministry to which they’ve been called with the resources God provides.
So when it comes to giving to any church or ministry, do whatever the Spirit leads you to do. Give cheerfully as an act of worship and you’ll partner with churches and ministries to boldly advance the Kingdom of God.
GIVE CHEERFULLY AND PARTNER WITH CHURCHES AND MINISTRIES TO BOLDLY ADVANCE GOD’S KINGDOM.
