Spreading Happiness

And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’

Acts 20:35 NLT

Receiving is one of the best parts of life. We all know how encouraging it is when we receive a compliment from a friend, an unexpected bonus from work, or a discount on an item we’ve been wanting for a long time. We love to receive good news about our kids’ progress in school, and birthdays are so encouraging because we receive gifts and well wishes. 

Understanding how impactful and encouraging it can be to receive good things from others makes the above verse so powerful. As happy as we are when we receive, Jesus says we will be much happier when we give.

For those of us who are in the Gen X and Baby Boomer generations, this can be a challenging promise to embrace. Aging often begins to expose new limitations and certain tasks require more effort than they once did. With all of this at play, it may be tempting to feel the need to pull back and conserve mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual energy. But Jesus has a response to our fear of being depleted:

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.”

Luke 6:38 NLT

Jesus tells us that when we give, God guarantees we will get just as much back, if not more. We may not receive in the way we expect to, but the Bible does make it clear: God takes care of a heart that gives. 

Why this matters

But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant.

Matthew 20:26 NLT

The heart to give and serve is at the core of a life that follows Jesus, and is one that should permeate every area of our lives. This is how we spread happiness, not only in our own lives, but in the lives of those around us.

On August 24th, we have the incredible opportunity to give to our annual Special Contribution, with the theme of “Spreading Happiness.” We are excited to invest in our leadership training, digital efforts, and community service programs that can change lives and the world around us.

As we prepare for Special Contribution, join us as we examine whether we have a heart to give in each area of our lives. How is our heart to give in our homes, in our friendships, through our finances, or with our neighbors? While there are many areas to examine, one area we’d like to look at today is our heart to give at church on Sunday mornings. As we learn to give at church, we will find that we will receive so much more in return. Let’s look at a few ways to develop giving hearts at our Sunday church services.

Sunday giving is influenced by what happens on Saturday. 

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

Psalm 16:6 CSB

One of the biggest temptations is to pack our weekends so full that we get overwhelmed, over-extended, over-stimulated and over-tired. We all have limitations, which help us identify the boundary lines God has placed in our lives to help us thrive. The psalmist above understood his boundaries and saw them as pleasant places rather than restrictions. 

When we go beyond our boundaries over the weekend, we might feel accomplished by just showing up to church on Sunday and have no plans to be giving. 

But I will say this to encourage your generosity: the one who plants little harvests little, and the one who plants plenty harvests plenty. [7] Giving grows out of the heart-otherwise, you’ve reluctantly grumbled “yes” because you felt you had to or because you couldn’t say “no,” but this isn’t the way God wants it. For we know that “God loves a cheerful giver.” [8] God is ready to overwhelm you with more blessings than you could ever imagine so that you’ll always be taken care of in every way and you’ll have more than enough to share.

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 Voice

God wants us to give from what we have, not from what we don’t have. That’s why acknowledging and respecting our boundaries is so important — we want to have something to give. God wants to provide us with opportunities for refreshment, encouragement, connection, and purpose on Sunday mornings. We need to plan our weekends in a way that allows us to be present for all those opportunities.

Sunday giving starts with our time with God. 

With you as my strength I can crush an enemy horde, advancing through every stronghold that stands in front of me.

Psalm 18:29 TPT

The above psalmist was able to face whatever came his way because of his access to God’s strength. We too get that access when we spend time with God in the morning.

An engaging time with God is one where we listen to God’s voice through the Scriptures and talk to him in prayer about what is on our mind and in our heart. When we prioritize this time, we set ourselves up to be God-centered and God-strengthened when we leave the house. 

Deep Spirituality provides a lot of content that helps us engage our hearts with God. Check out their new newsletter, The Chemistry Lab, to learn how to go deeper with him.

Sunday giving is specific and prepared.

When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.

Romans 1:12 NLT

When I was young, mature Christians would encourage me to prepare for church by praying for 2-3 people I wanted to specifically encourage on that day. That meant I had to think about them before church and pray for wisdom about how to meet their needs. That also meant that I was coming to church with intent and not out of duty or habit. 

I remember when I came in prepared, I looked forward to seeing them and encouraging them. I remember being more energized arriving at church and looking around for them to give the encouragement I had prayed for and planned on.  

Sunday giving is thoughtful and considerate.

I am so excited to be sending him back to you! I can picture the joy on your faces when he arrives; I can feel my worries falling away.

Philippians 2:28 Voice

In the book of Philippians, Paul understood the refreshment that comes when we see our friends face-to-face. He enjoyed the thought of encouraging his friends by sending them someone they cared about. He wasn’t just thinking about himself and his needs, but was thoughtful and considerate about what would benefit the Philippians. He wanted to bring them joy.

One way we can bring others joy on Sundays is by showing up early. When we show up to service early, we have an opportunity to bring joy and peace to especially newcomers. When people come to church for the first time, they often come early. Having warm and friendly faces to welcome them brings joy and relieves anxiety. 

This is about effort, not perfection. Sometimes unforeseen circumstances make us late. But when we have the heart to give and do what we can to come early as a practice, this will make a huge difference in the long run.

Sunday giving is genuine.

I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare.

Philippians 2:20 NLT

Maya Angelou has a famous quote: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Genuineness is attractive because it means people feel that our interest is sincere, which leaves more of an impact than any insightful or impressive thing we can say. One way we can practice genuineness is how we engage in conversations. Here are some questions we can reflect on to help us be genuine in our interactions on Sunday mornings:

• Do I smile and create an atmosphere of friendliness?
• If I haven’t met them yet:
  • Do I introduce myself? 
  • Do I show interest in who they are?
  • Do I ask questions and find common ground between us?
• If I have met them already:
  • Do I ask questions about their week?
  • Do I ask follow up questions about what I’ve learned about them?
  • Do I introduce them to others?
• Do I invite them to sit with me?
• If they’re sitting alone, do I ask to sit with them?

Regardless of how long we’ve gone to church, each of us appreciates genuine connection. This heart to give and initiate can make someone’s day better in ways we can’t even imagine.

Sunday giving is motivated by God’s love.

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. [15] And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 NIV

What ultimately motivates us to give on Sundays is God’s love. When we are grateful for Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross for us, we will be compelled to use our lives to give.

One great opportunity to give out of gratitude for God is through our upcoming Special Contribution on August 24th. Special Contribution is what makes it possible for us to keep spreading happiness through our digital efforts, E-Life growth, and leadership training. It’s how we’re able to give at our church services, and how we build for the future. It’s an opportunity to show God’s love to those around us.

As you head into your weekend, ask yourself: which area of Sunday giving can I try this week? What impact do I want to make with Special Contribution? 

To learn more about how to give, go to bacc.cc/give.