The Anatomy of a Cheerful Giver

First Published April 14, 2014

2 Corinthians 9:7

 

Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.

A giver is the opposite of a taker, bestowing outwardly rather snatching up for oneself. Today’s verse diagrams the anatomy of a cheerful giver.  This short verse explains the elements a giver.

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 Giving begins with a clear purpose and focus.  It must be such a determination that the path to giving is the most direct, hence the most effective.  But, for some of us that desire is not strong.  This is where prayer comes in.  Ask the Lord to remind you of the people who gave, so that your life was enriched.  Maybe someone gave you money when funds were short.  Maybe someone helped you when you didn’t know help was needed.  Your faith as a giver will grow because you remembered someone else who gave to you.

 Tax-time is around the corner and I truly don’t know anyone who likes paying taxes. We grumble about it not being fair (grudgingly) and that we have to do it (under compulsion).  The willingness to give of our time, money, and talents is not contingent on only these two attitudes, however.  If we give solely out of duty or expected return, we are also grumbling or feeling forced into it. Again, we can get a better perspective by thinking back on how someone else gave to you.  They were compassionate and anxious to give freely and willingly.  And again, if that burning desire to give is missing, plead with the Lord to remove those feelings of compulsion, duty, and expected return.  Ask him to remove your grumbling and fill you with a pure sense of desire to give.

Being cheerful has two components. One part is happiness, the state of being satisfied.  When your physical hunger has been met with delicious and filling food, you are happy. Ahhh. Another component of cheerfulness is the high energy level.  This might seem a bit extreme, until you consider how God gave.  The angels sang at the birth of Jesus.  The ground shook upon the death of Jesus.  The heavens opened upon the ascension of Jesus.  I call that high energy.

 

 Now, you might have noticed that as we’ve been discussing today’s passage, we keep returning to the receiver’s perspective.  Yup, we can understand giving by understanding the receiving end. Wow!  Today let’s study this verse in depth and seriously.  Let’s strive to become God’s givers.

 

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Dear Lord,  There are so many who gave to me just as Paul’s letter to the Corinthians described.  I want to be a determined giver.  I want to be a compassionate giver.  I want to be an energetically satisfied giver.  Please help me see how to be a cheerful giver, so that others may see you.  In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

 

Copyright 2014 by Karen Vaughn