The Joy That Comes from Giving
You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 2 Corinthians 9:7-8
After being out for two weeks recovering from my back surgery, I was so glad to be back Wednesday evening for dinner church. Debby and I love being there to greet and hand out the carryout meals. The people from the community are great people whom we all love serving. All of our volunteers who come to serve are blessed. We all gain more than we give.
Tony Burke comes faithfully to volunteer and stands out with the people in line for our meals in order to receive their prayer requests. So many of the requests are not for themselves but for others. These are people who have great needs of their own but they ask prayers for others they see have needs. This really amazes me. Most of the time we think to ask God to meet our own needs. This is not wrong; God wants us to ask him for help. Yet, there’s a wonderful blessing that comes when we put others’ needs before our own.
Art Wells is a long time resident of the Near Eastside community who comes regularly to CCDC and asks for prayers for others. He has even written down on paper and brought his list of people in his family and their specific needs to pray for. Art is such a good-hearted man. Whenever Tony discovers a new first-time person, he points him out to me so that I can welcome him or her and let them know we want to care about them and will pray for them. I also ask if they have any other specific needs that we can help them with. Their response, although at first has some skepticism, is always amazement that we genuinely care. We cheerfully want to give and it brings a smile on their faces and a bit of joy.
We are going to be celebrating our first anniversary of ministry this month and all of us who have been serving and supporting CCDC feel the blessings that we are given back as we give to those in need. Giving is the most joyous thing we can do. Paul says, “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” But anyone who gives ought to feel the joy inside that comes when their heart is for helping others. Some of our most special gifts are those that are given to us unexpectedly. The surprise touches our hearts. We can’t believe someone thought to give us a gift. This is how the people we serve feel about our giving to them, giving not just meals or other items but our love. They don’t expect this.
Two thousand years ago God gave us all an unexpected Gift. God surprised us by giving us his Son Jesus. When I learned in college from my fraternity brother about this Gift, I was so surprised that it changed my hard heart forever. I was born again. My heart became softened and it drew me into serving as a pastor to give back to God for the Gift he gave me.
Those who serve and contribute to CCDC know the joy we have been given by Jesus Christ and want to share that joy with others. If you want to share in the joy of giving to CCDC, please pray and consider giving a gift and you will experience the joy that comes from sharing with others in need. There is such a wonderful gift given back to us when we give a gift to others.
May God’s peace be with you,
Pastor Jim and Debby Riley