Read:
Paul is writing to the church in Corinth to let them know he'd be coming to collect the gift they'd promised to help another church, and he advised them to get it ready ahead of time.
Why? He didn't want them scrambling at the last minute and throwing something together under pressure. Paul wanted their gift to carry the same joy and willingness they'd had from the start.
Planning your giving isn't less spiritual. It actually protects the joy that inspired it in the first place. God's generosity toward you is rooted in love, not guilt. So why would he want guilt—or stress, or pressure—creeping into your giving?
God invites you to give out of the same changed heart his love created in you. So don't wait for the moment of the ask. Decide now, before the pressure's on, the kind of giver you want to be.
Pray: God, thank you that love—not guilt—is the only thing behind your generosity toward me. Grow that same heart in me. Help me give freely and cheerfully because I trust you, not because I feel cornered. Help me decide ahead of time to be generous. Amen.