Stewardship is . . . A Cheer Giving.

Paul spends most of Second Corinthians chapter nine talking about stewardship. He reminds us that stewardship and giving in general should be something that we want to do and that we do cheerfully. Paul says, “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). To give in a begrudging way is to give reluctantly and really is not giving.

We give cheerfully because we know what joy there is in giving. (And really, a person cannot know that joy until they have experienced it.) We give, not expecting in return but, because we know we are first given to. We give, not expecting in return but, knowing that God will continue to provide for us and for all our needs.

The Concordia Self-Study Bible attaches a footnote to this verse which points us to the following verse, where Jesus says, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:38). We give, because we have first been given to. We give and know that as we give the Lord will continue to give back to us, according to what we have given. (That sounds a lot like the passage from 2 Corinthians 9:6 about sowing sparingly and reaping sparingly, sowing generously and reaping generously.)

Maybe we need to take stock of our own lives. What has God given to us? After we have discovered that God has given everything to us, then we need to carefully decide what we want to give back to God. What we decide to give back to God we will want to give back cheerfully. We give back cheerfully and in so doing we are giving praise and glory to the Lord for all His benefits to us. To God be the glory.

39 of 52 © Rev. Ronald A. Bogs