Called to be Givers not Lenders

Friday, May 22nd, 2009

Called to Be Givers Not Lenders

By Pastor Jonathan Sansom

“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV)

While I was praying and meditating on the word of God the other day, He began to speak to me concerning the difference between an attitude of lending and an attitude of giving. It was upon evaluating my own heart that I began to clearly see the distinction between two opposing attitudes, but also how blinded we can become to the condition of our own heart when it comes to giving.

It becomes increasingly apparent we treat our call to give as a business proposition with God. I will give with full expectation of a return on my investment. Are we to expect God to keep His word and promises toward us? Of course, but the issue here is not whether God is faithful in keeping His word. In fact the scripture says, “…The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made.” So the core of our conflict is not with God keeping His word, but the heart that motivates us in obeying His word.

Can one give and it not be in a spirit of giving? I believe Paul answers this question in 2 Corinthians 9:7 when he wrote, “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” When one gives out of a selfish or prideful heart, or out of an attitude of entitlement or achievement then I believe God rejects the gift and rebukes the giver. We see this portrayed in Genesis 4:3-5 “In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.” What was the problem with Cain’s offering? It wasn’t the first fruits of his harvest. “In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil…” But Abel offered the firstborn of his flock and this found favor with God.

I was reflecting on the process of lending as when a bank lends to a borrower. When a bank lends a certain amount to an individual it does so with conditions, and expectations of a return in greater measure than was given. The bank carefully evaluates the purpose for the loan and its risks. The bank secures control of the loan to ensure its return on the money given. Thus the borrower is enslaved to the lender until he/she has paid their debt. As I meditated on this I began to hear the Lord say, “My people give to Me with an attitude of lending.” This statement struck me at my very core. Then I heard the Lord say, “I will not increase what is not given to Me.” God promises to multiply and increase the measure of the gift in the life of the giver. But He is not accepting offerings that are not released in an attitude of giving nor is He accepting of our leftovers because He is uninterested in multiplying anything other than the best. In an attitude of lending we still maintain control, but in an attitude of giving we release that control and trust God with the resource.

Lending comes with conditions and strings attached, but true giving is done so with full release. The promises of God are not guarantees provided as if He is a borrower who is looking to repay what has been given to Him, but His promises are the expressions of His delight in our full trust in His provision.

How often do we approach God and our giving into His Kingdom with a lending attitude? Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 9:6-8, 10-11 “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work… Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”

Let us allow the Holy Spirit to evaluate the condition and attitude of our hearts. When we give to the Lord freely, cheerfully and of our first fruits then it will be received with favor, and the abundant nature of God will envelope our gift and multiply it beyond measure.
Below is a story by Dr. Cho Senior Pastor of Yodio Full Gospel Church in Seoul Korea the largest church in the world. He shares this story in his book “Prayer that Brings Revival”. Please take the time to allow this life challenging account minister and bless you as it speaks to the giving nature of Christ that should be witnessed in us.

When our present church was being built in 1973, the dollar was devalued. This caused the Korean won (which is tied in value to the American dollar) to suffer, and we entered into deep recession. Then, the oil crisis hit us, worsening our already fragile economy. Our people lost their jobs, and our income went down.

Having signed contracts with the Construction Company, and experiencing and unprecedented increase in building costs, I suffered greatly, seeing the possibility of a financial collapse. Despondently, I sat in my unfinished church building, wishing the still bare rafters would just fall in on me.

During this crucial time in my ministry, a group from our church went to the property and started building a place to pray, mainly for their suffering pastor. Although I saw the need for this in our church, my concern was the added expense that kept piling up on my desk.
Seeing that only a miraculous intervention of God would deliver us from a catastrophe, I joined the intercessors at Prayer Mountain. One evening while we were meeting to pray on the ground floor of our unfinished church, several hundred joined me in prayer. An old woman walked slowly in my direction. As she approached the platform, I noticed that tears were filling her eyes. She bowed and said, “Pastor, I want to give these items to you so that you may sell them for a few pennies to help with our building fund.”

I looked down, and in her hands were an old rice bowl and a pair of chopsticks. I said to her, “Sister, I can’t take these necessities from you!”

“But, Pastor, I am an old woman. I have nothing of value to give to my Lord; yet, Jesus has graciously saved me. These items are the only things in the world I possess!” she exclaimed, tears now flowing freely down her cheeks. “You must let me give these to Jesus. I can place my rice on old newspapers, and I can use my hands to feed myself. I know that I will die soon, so I don’t want to meet Jesus without giving Him something on this earth.” As she finished speaking, everyone there began to weep openly. The Holy Spirit’s presence filled the place, and we all began to pray in the Spirit.

A businessman in the back of the group was deeply moved and said, “Pastor Cho, I want to buy that rice bowl and chopsticks for one thousand dollars!” With that, everyone started to pledge their possessions. My wife and I sold our small home and gave the money to the church. This spirit of giving saved us from financial ruin.