Let’s talk about giving…

But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

2 Corinthians 9:6

Paul’s point is this: If your heart is right, then your offering will be accepted; size matters not. If your heart is not right, no offering of any size will be received by God with gladness.

To illustrate that, the Apostle uses a simple metaphor: If you sow some seeds sparingly–because you are stingy with the seed and want to spread it out–then you will also reap sparingly at harvest. Your plants will be spread out, they will struggle, and in the end you will not have much of a harvest to enjoy. On the other hand if you sow your seed bountifully, liberally and with full trust that the seed will spring forth in full bloom later, then you will also reap bountifully.

The stingy sower is a scared sower; he doesn’t want to “waste” his seed without the assurance that the ground will produce fruit. But the liberal sower is a faithful sower; he trusts that God will take care of him so he scatters the seed across his field. The stingy sower ends up with little, because he gave little to the ground. The liberal sower ends up with much because he gave much to the ground. God would have taken care of both, but the only one who got to enjoy God’s blessings was the one who trusted that God would provide.

To that, Paul adds…

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 9:7

What kind of giver does God want? He wants a giver who will give willingly, not begrudgingly or feeling extorted. If someone gives with biterness on their heart, then their offering is no good. Think about it: If you give but you don’t want to (out of covetousness) then all you’re doing is giving a Spiritual Being–God–a check or some cash. What is that to Him? God doesn’t need money; He wants your heart! If you give with covetousness on your heart then your heart is on your money, not on God. In that case you might as well keep your money; you’re sinning with or without it so long as your heart is coveting it.

Sow bountifully, sow trustfully. Sow CHEERFULLY because that’s the kind of giver God wants. God wants a giver who has so much trust in Him that he’ll put his money where his heart is and trust that God will take care of him.

And then one who has that kind of trust, and who gives accordingly, will be blessed.

Bountifully.