SEPTEMBER 24

2 Corinthians 9:6-8

                              A CHEERFUL GIVER (II)

We have learnt that we should give without expecting anything in return.We must also give from the heart, and that we give because we want to.

Mrs. Lim asked her Sunday school class, “If you had a million dollars, would you give a part of it to the church?” The class said they would.

“If you had $1,000, would you give $500 to the church?” Mrs Lim asked. “Yes, we would,” her students answered unanimously.
Then she asked: “If you had $1, would you give a portion of it to Jesus?”.

Her students looked at each other. Peter replied that he would but what he did not say was he didn’t have a dollar to give; Peter came from a poor family. Another boy, Collin, took 50 cents out of his pocket and put it in the offering bag.

The other students kept quiet. They had not brought any money to church but kept the money at home. They did not want to give a part of their money to church. They had all said they would give part of their million dollars because they did not have that kind of money. But they didn’t want to give what they could.

We are like these students. If we had a million dollars it is easy to say what we would do for God. But how much will we really do for God with what we actually have? Are we willing to do for Him right here and now? Here is the real test of our love for God.

Do you love God? God wants us to give time, money or anything else to Him because we love Him and not because we have to. God loves a cheerful giver. Cheerful givers are people who give because they want to.They are happy to do what they can for Jesus because Jesus gave His life for them. Are you a cheerful giver?

Thought: What are the things you can do for Jesus?
Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to be a cheerful giver for I know that everything I have comes from the Lord. And please help me grow my love for Jesus, because I want to. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.