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 9:7
“Will you notice how men give? Among those who give to benevolent enterprises there are three sorts of givers, with variations in each.
There is the man who gives because he is influenced by others. If the right man or committee of men call, and deftly present their pleas, playing skillfully upon what may appeal to him; his position; his egotism; the possible advantage to accrue…if they persist, by and by he gives. At first he seems reluctant, but finally gives with more or less grace. That is one sort of giver.
There is a second sort: the man of truly benevolent heart who is desirous of giving that he may be of help to other men. He listens attentively when pleas come to him, and waits only long enough to satisfy himself of the worth of the cause, and the proper sort of amount to give, and then gives.
There is a third sort, the rarest sort. This second man a stage farther on, who takes the initiative. He looks about him, makes inquiries, and thinks over the great need in every direction of his fellow men. He decides where his money may be best used to help and then himself offers to give.”
Samuel Dickey Gordon (1859-1936) in Quiet Talks on Prayer (New York: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1941) 54-55. Special thanks to my friend, Randy Discher, who shared this excerpt with me earlier this week in Minnesota. He and his wife, Debbie, take the “initiative” to bless others.
By the time you are reading this, Jenni and I will have just arrived in Hong Kong (pictured above in a snapshot I took on a previous visit). En route I have blocked time to pray about remarks I will share in various settings. Give me your words, Father in Heaven.
When teaching on generosity, I love to ask questions. Here’s the question for today: Which of the givers mentioned above describes you?