The instrumentalist had worked hard preparing for Sunday mornings offertory. Just as he was at the climax of the arrangement, the pastor suddenly approached the podium and announced, “I’m sorry to interrupt, but the trustees have just informed me that we have received too much! I’m going to have to stop the offering early. Sorry for all of you who did not have the opportunity to give. Perhaps you can set that aside for next week. We just cannot take any more at this time!”
If this scenario were to be rated on a scale of 1-10 for its plausibility of happening in a church today, a fair assessment would be very close to, if not past, the unlikely side. Perhaps a more likely scenario would be…
The instrumentalist played a wonderful arrangement of “Be Thou My Vision” for the Sunday morning offering. At the conclusion of the song, the pastor approached the podium and announced, “The trustees have just informed me that this morning’s offering is insufficient to meet our present needs. I’m going to ask the instrumentalist to play that song again as the men pass the plates one more time.”
Why is it so hard to give? The New Testament example for giving is characterized by giving over and beyond that which is necessary to give. In fact, there is a great example in Exodus 36 when the people of Israel take up an offering for the tabernacle. They give so much that the men collecting tell Moses to instruct the people to stop giving. Can you imagine?
What would the church look like today if pastors had to continually ask the people to stop giving? To be honest, that seems to be what a healthy church should look like. Those who walk close to God will have that understanding that what they have belongs to God anyway and that He loves the “cheerful” giver or one who is looking for every opportunity to give.
Give “cheerfully” as you continue to…
Walk in Him.
Walking in Him 