A BALANCED APPROACH ON PROSPERITY Pt.20

In the previous teaching, we examined giving as worship. This is the highest form of giving not  transactional giving. God expects his children to give as an extension of their worship of him not as a trader.

Those trading with God through the offering plate may stop their trade the day they don't get their expected returns on investment. Some will say, "despite all my giving, nothing changed".  God is to be worshipped not to be traded with. He is our maker not a business/trade partner. Once this is settled in your heart, you will not stop giving even If the circumstances are adverse. We shall examine other biblical injunctions.

*3#. Give Willingly*

2 Corinthians 8:12 (NLT) says, *"For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not*".

For your giving to be acceptable, it must be done willingly. God doesn't accept anything given grudgingly or under pressure. Manipulation and coercion is not God's way. Anyone who employs these is not doing the Lord's work.

From the old testament, God's method has been to take from willing hearts: *"From what you have, take an offering for the LORD. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the LORD an offering of gold, silver and bronze;*" (Ex 35:5 NIV)

This issue is one of the things I am careful about in our drive to raise money for the ministry.  I have adopted a model of sharing my vision and ministry activities and what finances will be used for instead of using sweet words and spurious promises to get money. I think it is safer that way.

In that text, Paul made it clear that the acceptability of an offering is according to what a man has not what he doesn't have: *"...Your gift is fully acceptable to God according to what you have, not what you don’t have*" (2 Cor 8:12 TPT)

I have heard of people who borrowed huge money to sow seed because they were promised they would get returns on it. Some students have given their school fees as seed. That's dangerous.

You don't sow a money that is not yours in the first place.  Dear student, that school fees is the sweat of your parents to make you a better person in life. It is not yours. What is yours is your pocket money not school fees. Any preacher who demands your school fees as a seed is a hireling not a shepherd.

Some preachers may say, "If we don't push them to give, they won't give". That "push" is what births manipulation. God's people don't need a push. They need to be taught biblical giving and their resonsibility towards advancing God's kingdom.

Willingness to give should not be a problem for people whose hearts are affixed to the kingdom. Those that have met Jesus do not need to be manipulated to give because worship is their lifestyle and they'll do whatever is within their capacity to advance God's kingdom.