WARNING: OFFERING PLATES ARE MENTIONED

“Everyone should give whatever they have decided in their heart. They shouldn’t give with hesitation or because of pressure. God loves a cheerful giver.” – 2 Corinthians 9:7

You may have heard that last line before: “God loves a cheerful giver.” In context, Paul’s trying to convince the Corinthians to support a collection for needy believers in Jerusalem, but today you’re likely to hear it quoted in a church stewardship campaign or right before the plates get passed on a Sunday morning.

I was reminded of that line recently. During the summer months, when a lot of our normal ushers are in and out with vacations and other trips, the church I serve will often just set the offering plates on tables near the sanctuary doors, where you can place a donation as you’re coming or going. There’s also a musical interlude in the service when anyone could carry an offering over to a plate.

And my girls just love that.

Emily will hand them each a bill, to get them used to the idea of giving to the church, and they’ll scurry over to deposit it in the plate. But then they skip back to the pew and demand more. So, she scrapes the bottom of her wallet for any more cash or any coins she can find (we’re Millennials—we don’t carry physical money around!), and then they dash to the plate again. One time, they returned to the pew elated, pleading for more, and make a third run. Buzzing around the sanctuary, participating in the service, handling real, grown-up money, they just eat all of that up.

They’re the most cheerful givers I’ve ever seen. And I have no doubt God loves it as much as they do.

Once, Jesus was asked who was greatest in his Kingdom. The disciples were often jockeying for glory like that. But when Jesus answered them, he didn’t pick one of the disciples. Instead, he called over some little kid, and he said, “I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you’ll never enter the kingdom.” (Matt 18:3) Then he answered their question: “anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom.” (18:4) It sounds to me like Jesus is saying that we could learn a lot about how to serve the Lord and follow him from kids.

Like, say, the sheer joy of participating in a service of worship and the overflowing cheer of giving.

In Christ’s eyes, that’s a truly great thing. God just loves it. And some of us in Pascagoula got to witness a sermon on it from two cute little experts this summer.

May we all have eyes to see and ears to hear.

Listen to the devotional right here!