To fully appreciate how valuable Stewardship is to our church, we must understand the generous nature of our God. God gives cheerfully. He gives us opportunities and abilities. He gives us the gift of free will. When that free will made it impossible for us to save ourselves, He gave His Son. He gave everything for us. His generosity is more than we can truly comprehend.

God's generosity does not stop there. He continually gives to us, and he also multiplies our gifts back. Whenever we give our talents, resources, or faith, it comes back to us multiplied.

Often, we don't give of ourselves because we are blind to God's generosity. When we open our eyes and heart, evidence of His giving is all around us. In the green of the grass, the whisper of the breeze, the warmth of the sun.

Often, we're afraid to give - we doubt our abilities and lack faith in that God will return our gift many times over back to us. We fear to give too much at offering because we may not be able to make a bill. We fear volunteering for a ministry because we may stretch ourselves too thin in time and energy. Sometimes peer pressure gets to us and we fear that it will make us look pompous to give our time and talents, rather than join in with enthusiasm.

We need to have faith that God will multiply our gifts and reward us.

"And he that supplieth seed to the sower and bread for food, shall supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the fruits of your righteousness:"
        2 Corinthians 9:10 (ASV)

We need to understand that God loves the cheerful giver.

"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 (Holy Bible, King James Version)

God does not want us to be anxious about what we give to our church. He wants us to give freely, relax and have faith in Him that he will provide for us. This also means that he does not want us to feel distraught if we are only able to give a little. Being a cheerful giver and giving freely does not refer to how much, but to our attitude of giving.

Listen to this:

"And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.
"And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.
"And He called unto Him His disciples, and saith unto them, "Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:
"For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living."
        Mark 12:41-44 (Holy Bible, King James Version)

God does not care how much you give, but how you give it. When you give out of gratitude and generosity to God, He is pleased, no matter how much time or money you use in the giving.

When you plant a tomato seed, it grows into a plant bearing many tomatoes. All God needs is a seed, and He will multiply it. Give cheerfully in relation to your resources and allow God to use your gifts for His Work, and you will be rewarded.

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."
        1 Corinthians 15:58 (Holy Bible, King James Version)

©2009 Diana Cacy Hawkins

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©2008 Diana Cacy Hawkins