The miser …

One Sunday a miser attended worship service at the church he had been a member of for many years.

As the sermon concluded, the ushers began to pass the offering plates down the pews. The miser pulled out his wallet, grabbed a bill, and tossed it into the offering plate. As the plate passed by him, he got a passing glance at what he had put into the plate … a $50 bill! He had intended to put in only a $5 bill. But the offering plate was gone from the pew, so there was nothing he could do at the moment.

When the service finally concluded, the miser quickly made his way to the lead usher and asked if he could have a private conversation with him. He explained his error, describing how he had intended to put only a $5 bill into the offering plate but had, quite by accident, put in the $50 bill. So, he asked, would it be possible to receive change for the difference?

The lead usher explained to the miser that he could not do as requested and “make change” for the man since there was no way of validating what the man had actually put into the offering.

“Well, I guess that makes sense,” said the miser somewhat wistfully. “That’s okay, I’ll get credit for it in heaven, won’t I?”

The lead usher wisely responded, “You’ll get credit for the $5.”

The man thought he could be rewarded for “accidental generosity” when his heart was truly that of a miser. Like the miser, we often want credit for more than we should. But “God’s economy” doesn’t work that way. Look closely at Luke 6:38, “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”

Are you really as generous as you think you are? When you receive from what you truly give, will you be blessed, or disappointed?

Scotty