There is a very simple difference between using a gift and giving a gift back to God. It’s all about your heart.
Take a look at 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 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.” NIV
The first part of that is about the relationship of how much you put in (sowing) to how much you get out (reaping). In other words, the more you put into something, the more you’ll get out of it. So if you never do anything with your gifts, nothing will ever come out of them. The sowing and reaping analogy comes from farming (which would have been familiar to the people reading this at the time). Sowing is putting the seeds into the ground, and reaping is harvesting the crop.
The second part is about how you use or give your gifts. There are three clear directions.
1) “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give” Decided in your heart means what you know is right, deep down. Don’t let yourself be convinced or pressured to give more or less than what you deep down know is the right amount. Sometimes this means to not let your mind convince your heart of something different or more logical than what your heart has already decided on.
2) “not reluctantly or under compulsion” Think back to when you were a child and your mom told you to say you were sorry, or to write those thank you notes (or perhaps think of telling your own children to do those things!). How sincere were those sentiments? Those thank you notes may have looked great, and may have even made grandma’s day, but if they were done begrudgingly or with a bad attitude they were empty words. (Not to say you shouldn’t make your children do them!) If you are trying to give your gift simply because you feel like its something you’re supposed to do, it is empty and in vain.
3) “God loves and cheerful giver” You should be excited about giving your gift to God! He is worthy of it, and He’s the one who gave it to you in the first place! I’ve heard cheerful translated as “hilarious”, picture a child so excited about something that they are hopping up and down or dancing. Children don’t care what they look like or what other people think of them – and they are hilarious!
Our Corinthians passage goes on to tell us the outcome of giving our gifts, 2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (The rest of the chapter is great read if you want more detail!)
Picture an open hand, giving and receiving. This hand should be you, giving your gifts to make room to receive more gifts from the Lord, so you can in turn give them back again. This giving and receiving will grow as you go, and is far more fulfilling than holding on to those gifts for yourself.
Looking into Worship 