Sowing and Reaping: Wealth, Prosperity, and Giving, Part 4

2 Corinthians 9: 6-7

“Now I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

The topic of giving for us Christians carries with it a measure of guilt. We just can’t help it. I struggle with it from time to time as you probably do as well. Am I giving enough and am I giving to the right people, the right ministries or causes? Do I need to give to my church fully first before other ministries or needs? Am I giving too much to one cause and not enough to another? Is this person really in ‘need’ and will they use the funds for what they say they will use it? Am I spending too much on my own pleasures and comfort?

Maybe I give a significant amount (relatively speaking) but am I really sacrificing? Am I using money for myself that God actually wants me to give? Does God consider me a faithful steward or a poor steward? Where do I rank?

The more questions one asks, the more guilt one may feel. Even though this chapter on giving does not focus on guilt, sometimes we just can’t help ourselves. So, now that I’ve introduced the topic of guilt, let’s try to focus, best we can, on what this passage really says about giving and NOT on our guilt.   

Proportionate  

The foremost principle is if you sow sparingly, you’ll reap sparingly; if bountifully, then you’ll reap bountifully. No judgement, just simply agricultural principles of planting seeds. Our harvest will be proportionate to the seeds we plant. We will sow and reap in like measure.

Interesting that there is no directive or command as to what is right or wrong. Just a simple principle of proportionate sowing and reaping. (Sometimes God’s Word is most powerful when we just take it at its face value). 

But how do I know how much to give??? Well, in a sense, verse 7 gives us straightforward and simple guidelines. The answer is not an exact amount or percentage. Instead, Paul provides principles and guidelines.    

1. First, give what you have PURPOSED in your HEART. Purposed means according to a thoughtful plan; with prayer, meditation and reflection. The principle of ‘give from the heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion’ goes to the source of the decision. Give what you want to give, not what you feel others want you to give.  

2. Second, do not give grudgingly or under compulsion. Grudgingly means to give with regret. Under compulsion means giving because of an external force such as legalism, a set percentage or a guilty plea from someone. Plan and give what you peacefully and joyfully, without regret, want to give. If it’s a little, then so be it. You don’t have to feel guilty. You may not receive the level of blessings that you could but that doesn’t mean you have to pour guilt over yourself. Really!!! This may be counter to what you are used to but I’m just trying to be faithful to interpret this passage (within its context) before me in a simple and straightforward matter. It’s not about guilt in this passage. It’s all about sowing and reaping accordingly. It’s up to you. If you regret giving; who you give to or what amount, then don’t do it. Take a deep breath….and realize, it’s OK.  

3. The corresponding emotion accompanying our giving should be JOY. Guilt and fear should not be the guiding emotion. Joy should be our response to giving. Seek God from your heart and pray about the amount(s) and the recipient(s) that would bring you joy and give accordingly. If you are lacking joy in your heart in giving then giving out of guilt isn’t going to solve anything. You have a heart issue that needs to be dealt with before God. The issue goes well beyond the issue of giving. Pray, seek His Word and be honest with God. As your heart is spiritually renewed by God, your giving will automatically be affected. Let us give with joy.  

Our Journey  

Giving for me and Leigh has been a journey. Fortunately, we have always wanted to give but didn’t always know how to do it in a Spirit-led manner. Leigh especially has a giving heart. But dealing with where to give and the amount to give has been a growth experience for us over the years. We talk about it often. We have certain churches, ministries and causes that we both want to give to (and have purposed to give to). Also, there are certain recipients that I’m more passionate about and certain ones that she is more passionate about. But we pray and talk about it and we each ‘give and take’ in submission to each other. But we never give when one of us is opposed to the other. Fortunately, that doesn’t happen very often. We are not perfect by any means but we do our best to follow the principles from this passage. We have pre-set ministries and churches we give to and we also watch for needs that arise daily and give if we are able.  

I can tell you from experience, God’s promises are real. We have been blessed according to our measure of giving. It is true and God is faithful. Truthfully, we have been blessed beyond our measure of giving.

It seems every year as I prepare my tax return, I say to myself, ‘we should’ve given more.’ The following year, we give more; the blessings increase. Then as I do my taxes again the following year, I say to myself, ‘we should’ve given more.’ When will I learn? 

God, may you deal with our hearts so that we give from a place of joy rather than under a cloud of guilt and compulsion. Your promises in this area of giving are amazing. Absolutely amazing. You promise to bless us more as we give more. It’s simple but so very powerful. You promise that we will reap what we sow. Lord, help us to balance our giving to be according to our ability yet with a measure of sacrifice. Grow our hearts to give with joy and then give more and then give more and give more. And may it be according to Your will and Your guidance. Amen!