Focal Passage: 2 Corinthians 9:6-13
Do you want to make God happy? If you answered yes, listen to this verse: “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7, ESV). It is evident that the implication for this verse is that a cheerful giver makes God happy. Have you ever considered why a cheerful giver makes God happy? I would like to suggest four reasons.
First, the attitude with which you give is an indicator of what is occurring in your heart. When a person gives with a cheerful heart it means they see giving as a privilege and not a burden. When a person gives begrudgingly it means he does not understand who his true source of income is.
Second, cheerful givers are a conduit of God’s blessings, not a clog. When you give in God’s name for God’s purposes you are the channel by which God impacts the lives of others. When you are stingy with God’s resources you rob people of God’s blessing.
Third, a cheerful giver reflects God’s character better than someone who gives begrudgingly. When a believer gives cheerfully it provides a clearer picture of what God is like than someone who gives with a reluctant spirit. Throughout scripture God is extremely generous. When we ignore His Word and don’t model God’s nature through our giving we do God a disservice and detract from His true beauty.
Finally, God loves a cheerful giver because it gives Him cause to bless the giver. The Bible says, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him …” (2 Chronicles 16:9). I believe God is looking for people to bless, and when His people respond in obedience to His Word with a pure heart, He takes great joy in blessing them.
Will you join me in making God happy? I believe it is a decision you will never regret. Start this week by giving with a cheerful heart.