1 Corinthians 16:1-4
Today's Scripture


The incessant plea for money from some TV evangelists turns many people off, and rightly so. The promise of prosperity in return for donations is deceitful. True, God does take care of us and our needs when we trust him to do so. But our motives should be pure-God loves a cheerful giver, not a coerced one, as Paul states in 2 Corinthians 9:7: Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (NIV)

Having said that, we should not go to the other extreme and horde our money thinking that poverty is good for the church, or that if we are not cheerful all the time, we should not give. Paul was collecting money, not for himself, but for the poor in Jerusalem. He wanted to teach the new believers on his missionary travels about helping the larger church.

It has been inspiring to see the generosity of people after the devastation of the tsunami in south central Asia. But other non-profit organizations have seen donations slow down at this time. While we are to be generous in times of disaster, it is important to remember to give to our local congregations, to the church. Then in turn, there will be funds available to help others when needs arise.



- posted by Suzi @ 4:58 AM