LOVE OR COMPULSION?

"It's as if our pastor knows when we have money!", Mope exclaimed. Abby who had been tending to her neatly manicured nails all the while turned to face her friend, " what do you mean?" She quizzed. Mope hissed, "It's when they pay our (her husband and herself) salary that he starts a teaching on Giving and it is usually a series". Abby laughed, " maybe he listens to the network news to know when the Federal Government has given you people alerts, smart pastor". "The situation is so frustrating", Mope went on, "you know, he will keep on talking on giving till you almost have no choice but to give more than you usually drop for offerings. If not that my husband is a Deacon, I would have suggested that we stay at home on Sundays when our salaries have just been payed, but you know my husband, he won't listen

to me, he is too spiritual for my liking."

Abby adjusted her gown, " that is not a problem for me, let the pastor shout from now till tomorrow, it is my usual #50 I'll still drop in the offering box, its not as if I will write my name on it, or how will he know whether I gave fifty naira or a thousand naira? God is the omniscient, not him. My only problem in that regard is about the street beggars on the way to my house. Most times, I give them money not because I want to, but because I am afraid. I have the fear that if I ignore them, then God will ignore me or that something bad will happen to me or that maybe I will become like them someday. I only wish the State Government will pack all of them away from that junction because I cannot continue to waste my precious resources on those dirty things....".

Are you like Mope and Abby? Do you do your giving out of compulsion or out of love? If you are like them, I think it's high time you stopped because its a cheerful giver God loves, not a frustrated one.
"Everyman according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." 2Corinthians 9:7. Jesus cares and so do I.