What happens when a pastor assesses your possessions and tells you how much to give?
A pastor’s assessment of a member’s home, car, pickup, and garage, followed by a prescribed amount, produces resentment rather than cheerful giving. No one has the right to dictate the amount; giving is strictly between the individual Christian and the Lord, not grudgingly or of necessity.
Les teaches that this kind of pastoral assessment and amount-setting is legalism. He recalls a gentleman in Iowa whose pastor came out, looked at the things he had available, the size of his home, the car, the pickup, and the garage, and then told him he should be able to give $600 a month. The man was totally turned off and said nobody is going to tell him how much he is supposed to give. Les agreed that no one has the right to do that; it is strictly between the individual Christian and his Lord. Giving should not be grudgingly or of necessity because somebody laid it on you. God loves a cheerful giver, and “cheerful” in the original Greek really meant hilarious. Many people give out of duty or a burden, but God in so many words says if you cannot give hilariously, He does not need it or want it.
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.