Supposedly, there was once a little country church that called an emergency meeting to address the urgent need to do some maintenance work on their building. During the course of the meeting, a relatively wealthy member stood up and pledged $100 toward the repair expenses. No sooner than he had sat down, a huge piece of plaster fell from the ceiling and hit him on the head, giving off a cloud of white dust. He promptly stood up and announced that he was raising his pledge to $1000. Before he could sit down again, a voice from the back shouted, “Hit him again, Lord! Hit him again!”

The Bible says that God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7). The Lord shouldn’t have to hit us over the head to force us to give. We should be excited about being able to contribute to the kingdom. Remember that we are doing more than just keeping a roof over our heads; our tithes and offerings help the poor and spread the gospel to those who need to hear it.

God has blessed us so richly. Let’s be ready and willing to share what we have been given in order to advance the work of the church.