Are You a Sower or a Thrower?
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God is unwilling to do without a cheerful, joyous, "prompt to do it" giver, whose heart is in his giving!

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 
(2 Corinthians 9:10)

What is a Sower?
 

A sower is not just one who occasionally throws some seed in the ground, but one who makes it their lifestyle to sow. Other translations say “farmer”. There is a vast difference between a farmer who makes his living from the ground, and someone who has a few tomato plants. A real farmer knows things about the soil and the weather that we don’t even think about. He knows which bugs are harmful, and which ones he can ignore. He makes it his business to know. His heart is in it! Every aspect is important to him. God gives seed to that kind of person. 


What is a Thrower?
He doesn’t just give seed to the “thrower”. What’s a thrower? A thrower is one who doesn’t think about giving until someone else brings it up. He looks in his wallet or his checkbook to see what’s available at the moment. He doesn’t plan ahead or water the seed he’s already planted. As a matter of fact, once he throws his seed in the plate, he won’t think about giving again until someone mentions it.       
A lot of people think it shouldn’t matter HOW you do it, as long as you DO it. But it’s not the money God is after. If it was, He’d make sure every thrower had plenty of it. No, it’s your heart! Where your treasure is….  It’s never ever just about the physical act of doing anything for God; it is always about the origin of the act – where does it come from? He created us for fellowship, not just servitude. He wants us to love what He loves. 

Pay Attention
So how do you get your heart involved? First, you’ve got to pay attention.  Proverbs 4:20-23 (NIV): My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
I remember when I was growing up, my mother used to say, “Look at me when I talk to you.” I realize as I am getting a bit older (not old) how valuable that training was. I am becoming increasingly aware that the current younger generation could use some help. Is it just me, or is it in fact a surprise when someone under 20 actually looks you in the eyes when they talk? Could it be that all of this texting, emailing, and facebooking has trained this generation to be impersonal? Do they lack the skills necessary to communicate face to face? Of course it’s possible that technology has contributed somewhat, but it’s more likely that it is just human nature in general that sometimes avoids that eye to eye vulnerability.   If eyes are the window to the soul, then looking someone in the eye lets them into your soul, and there are a lot of people who just do not want us looking in their windows.   
But even with the best eye contact, you can’t really see a person’s heart, at least not the way God can. For example, God told the prophet Samuel to go to the house of Jesse and anoint one of his sons to be king. Well, Jesse had a bunch of sons! Which one, Lord? Samuel looked them over and picked the one he thought was the obvious choice. But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart . 1 Samuel 16:7
Apparently, this young man did not have the heart God was looking for. And it is the heart that God is ALWAYS looking for, as revealed in Acts 13:22, And when he had removed him (King Saul), he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart , which shall fulfil all my will.
Human nature is based on performance. Traditional religion thrives on it. Do this, don’t do that. It’s all about what you DO. But you can do a lot and still not have the heart that God is looking for. True salvation is not based on our performance, but on HIS performance and our heart response to it! 
 

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.  Romans 10:10, NIV 

Only God and you know what is in your heart! Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you — unless, of course, you fail the test? 2 Corinthians 13:5, NIV

Set Your Heart


 


So first, pay attention. Then set your heart in that direction. Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3:1-3, NIV
Jesus had a conversation with a woman from Samaria. When she realized that Jesus was a prophet, she had a question: “Where do we worship God?” She asked a geographical question, because there was a dispute among the religious leaders. The Samaritans said you were supposed to worship God at the mountain; the Jews said you had to go to the temple in Jerusalem. She wanted to DO the right thing. Notice Jesus’ answer.   
He said in John 4:23-24, But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.  God’s looking for something specific in a true worshipper, and it can only be found in the heart.  It’s not just talent He’s looking for. And though your hands and feet and mouth may be moving, only God knows if you are truly worshipping. You can fool people, but you cannot fake it with God. If you’re not into your praise, what makes you think God is? (Maybe you don’t know how to truly worship? We can help! Get “Can You Hear Me Now?” from our store!)

Giving is just as important to God as your praise! 



(Read the story of Cornelius in Acts 10. God took notice of this Gentile because of his prayers and his giving.)
Jesus paid attention to the way people gave. And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the multitude were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums.  And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. And calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on." Mark 12:41-44, NASB
So let’s go back to 2 Corinthians 9 where we began and look at what the Amplified says in verses 6-7, noticing the attitude of the heart: (Remember) this: he who sows sparingly and grudgingly will also reap sparingly and grudgingly, and he who sows generously (that blessings may come to someone) will also reap generously and with blessings. Let each one (give) as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves (He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, “prompt to do it”) giver (whose heart is in his giving).
Friends, God wants our hearts above all else. So don’t pay so much attention or fix your heart on our country’s economy; instead, fix your heart on HIM and His provision. His assurance to the SOWER is this: And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient (possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation.) 2 Corinthians 9:8, Amp