Giving should be voluntary – Pastor Guillermo Jiménez

GIVING SHOULD BE VOLUNTARY

“The Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts them to give” (Exodus 25:1-2 NIV).

The offering must be voluntary and come from the heart for it to be blessed.
The giver must give voluntarily, and it must come from the heart, so they can be blessed.
God told Moses that he would accept the offering of those who had a generous heart. That makes me think that it was implied that there were other offerings he would not take, meaning there were people who did it by force, guilt, or pressure.
The person with a Judas heart feels pain, remorse, and anger when giving something for God or the people. But it doesn’t harm the heart of those who are generous to give.

“Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore, I command you to be open handed toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.” (Deuteronomy 15:10-11 NIV).

The generous heart feels joy when giving. God doesn’t want us to give because of necessity, pressure, or guilt.

“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 NIV).

Think about it:
Have your offerings come from your heart or because you feel obligated to do so?
What blessing have you received from God for giving an offering with joy?