4 Things You Must Do Every Time You Give By Clarence L. Haynes Jr. "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." - 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 I went to a church of a man who carries the title of prophet. A friend of mine invited me. During the service, he asked ten people in the congregation to make a $1000 vow. He said something to the effect that the Lord told him there were ten people in the room tonight who needed to make this $1000 vow, and if you are one of those ten, please stand up. After making this statement, only four people stood up. This did not please "the prophet," so he repeated his declaration that ten people here needed to do this. As he waited for more people to stand, I believe only one more stood up, so now five people were standing. You could see this disturbed him, but he remained determined to get to his number of ten people. After a few moments of waiting, no one else stood up, so he made this statement, and I am paraphrasing it. "I know there are ten people in here who need to give $1000 tonight. You know who you are. Don't let me get a word of knowledge and call you out." After making this statement, five more people stood up, and he had his ten people. After seeing this disgusting display of manipulation, I left that church and never returned. The Problem with the Approach The problem here is obvious. This type of manipulation violates all the heart and spirit of giving. By the way, if you ever see something like that in your church, don't wait until the service's end. Run and run quickly. Giving is an important part of our lives as Christians, but it is not just about how much we give but the heart we do it with. As you think about your giving today, please remember these four things about the attitude of giving and make sure they are present in every gift you give. |
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