“So let each one give as he purposes in his heart,
not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver”
– 2 Corinthians 9:7 –
Is it the amount or the disposition to give which counts? What does a “cheerful giver” mean? It means to give spontaneously, with pleasure, proportionally, and voluntarily. This principle should be applied both to the tithe and offerings. In the cas of tithe, we return the part which belongs to the Lord; therefore, it requires faithfulness. For offerings, generosity is required. In both cases, the giver should be “cheerful.”
People are happy when they receive, not when they give.
Being cheerful while giving is having the Spirit of Jesus.
Why does God love the cheerful giver? Does God in fact have favorites? He loves everyone, but He feels a special satisfaction when He is honored by the motivation of the cheerful giver. The moon reflects the light and brightness coming from the sun. It does not selfishly keep the light to itself.
The greatest argument for the reason He loves a cheerful giver is that God is a cheerful giver, to the point that He did not spare His own Son. Would we give our children to save our enemies? He gives to us without us asking and without us deserving it. Everything we have and are we owe to Him. It is only because He is a cheerful giver to us, we can become cheerful givers to Him.
Charles Spurgeon asked, “Have you placed your trust in Jesus? If your heart belongs to the Lord, and you have been washed in His bloos, always remember that God loves a cheerful giver.”
The spirit of selfishness is the spirit of satan. The principle illustrated in the lives of worldlings is to get, get, and get. Thus, they hope to secure happiness and ease, but the fruit of their sowing is misery and death. The spirit of liberality is the spirit of heaven. This spirit finds its highest manifestation in Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. In our behalf the Father gave His only begotten Son; and Christ, having given up all that He had, then gave Himself, that man might be saved. The cross of Calvary should appeal to the benevolence of every follower of the Savior. The principle there illustrated is to give, give, and give. “He that saith he abides in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 339).
Whoever has the spirit of Heaven is a cheerful giver
who blesses others, blesses himself, and glorifies God.
Let us be cheerful givers, may the Love and Peace of our Lord be with you…