A close friend and colleague...
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A close friend and colleague tells the story of a rich man in his congregation who is always compelled to make generous donations to the church in times of great personal crisis. Neither he nor his family participated in any church activities. On one occasion when his daughter was sick and near death the man asked my friend to visit her in the hospital. After offering prayers for the girl and as he was turning to leave the room, the man handed him an envelope with $3,000 in it and said, "Reverend, I sure hope your prayers bring her through."
On another occasion, the man's son experienced a terrible motorcycle accident which nearly left him paralyzed from the waist down. Again, on his visit the man handed my friend an envelope with $5,000 in it and said, "I hope God sees us through this one. I really love my son. Please put this in the treasury. Now if he comes through there's more in it for you and the church, Reverend."
While my friend appreciated the generosity of this man, he kept feeling guilty about receiving the money. When asked why he experienced so much guilt, he said, "Each time he handed me the envelope I kept feeling that he was offering God a bribe in exchange for the deliverance of his children." On three additional occasions when my friend was summoned to the hospital, he did not accept the "gift" and shared his feelings with the man. "Give because you want to give, not because you have to give. God loves giving from the heart."
--Stewart
On another occasion, the man's son experienced a terrible motorcycle accident which nearly left him paralyzed from the waist down. Again, on his visit the man handed my friend an envelope with $5,000 in it and said, "I hope God sees us through this one. I really love my son. Please put this in the treasury. Now if he comes through there's more in it for you and the church, Reverend."
While my friend appreciated the generosity of this man, he kept feeling guilty about receiving the money. When asked why he experienced so much guilt, he said, "Each time he handed me the envelope I kept feeling that he was offering God a bribe in exchange for the deliverance of his children." On three additional occasions when my friend was summoned to the hospital, he did not accept the "gift" and shared his feelings with the man. "Give because you want to give, not because you have to give. God loves giving from the heart."
--Stewart
