DEVOTIONAL 5
Friday, February 10
Why Giving and Generosity?
A Cheerful Giver
6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. —2 Corinthians 9:6–7
The degree of your sacrifice and the attitude accompanying it matters to God. There’s a causation between effort and results: Time and money spent on sowing seeds bring a bigger harvest; more consistency in the gym results in greater muscle mass; extra study time raises grades. Extraordinary results demand extraordinary effort. A similar principle rings true in God’s kingdom: often when incredible things happen within the kingdom, it’s on the heels of substantial sacrifice. But God doesn’t just care about your contribution, He’s also concerned about the attitude that accompanies it. Your gifts to the Lord shouldn’t be motivated by compulsion but instead by a joy found in knowing your sacrifice will make an eternal difference. The results of your sacrifice for God’s kingdom aren’t counted in crops yielded, weight lost, or a grade-point average, but in lives rescued from death and brought to life.
PRAY
I love You, Jesus. I want to see more people believe in You and mature in You here at the North Campus. Give me wisdom about what You are calling me to sacrifice to see Your kingdom expand through the PROCLAIM initiative.
ACT
If applicable, discuss with your children some of the exciting events on the horizon in your family. Those may include soccer games, vacations or birthday parties. Once you complete the list, bring up the PROCLAIM initiative and what excites you most about it. Communicate to your children with joy the sacrifice your family is going to make and discuss the mighty things the Lord will do with it.
FROM PASTOR CONNOR BALES
