Cheerful Givers

We're all most likely familiar with the phrase, "The Lord loves a cheerful giver." Unlike some of those kinds of sayings ("The Lord helps those who help themselves," "Cleanliness is next to godliness," etc.), this one is right out of Scripture (2 Cor 9:7). And some Christians see that as permission not to give. "Well, I'm not cheerful about giving, so God wouldn't be happy if I gave." What it actually says, however, is that God has a special kind of love for those who give cheerfully. That special love is not conferred on those who do not give nor on those who don't give cheerfully.

Now, if you're a believer, you might see this as a negative. "Wait," you say, "I want that special love. How do I get it?" Good question. Paul specifies that it is from the heart, without reluctance, and without compulsion (2 Cor 9:7). So giving as a duty might be a good thing, but it doesn't get you to that special love from God. What does? How can we become cheerful about giving ... even beyond your means (2 Cor 8:3)? We're not left to guess. The first thing we learn is that our giving is a product of God's grace (2 Cor 8:6-7). God's unmerited favor enables us to give cheerfully. So what prevents us from giving cheerfully? We don't see giving as a blessing; instead, we are greedy (2 Cor 9:5). Which is why God goes so far to enable us to give bountifully.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. (2Co 9:8)

Normally we're not supposed to ask, "What's in it for me?" In this case, Paul doesn't seem to mind pointing it out ... with superlatives. "I want to be a cheerful giver, but something is holding me back," you might say, and Paul says, "Oh, really? Do you see all that God gives so you may abound in good works?" God gives generously to make generous givers. Having told us, "Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully" (2 Cor 9:6), he goes on to tell us "He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness" (2 Cor 9:10). Which will you be? A sparing sower or a bountiful sower? God gives generously so we can give generously. In fact, he says, "You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way" (2 Cor 9:11). Notice the difference between this and the Prosperity teachings. The purpose of God's generosity is to make us generous, not greedy.

Greed is idolatry (Col 3:5). That should not be the mark of believers. But we might have other reasons to be less than cheerful givers. All of them, however, fall under the category of a lack of faith when we see 1) that God loves a cheerful giver, and 2) that God richly gives to us so that we can richly give to others. If you do not want God's love or you do not trust God to supply, then the problem is not merely being a cheerless giver. There is a deeper heart problem there that should be addressed.

Postscript. The text is about cheerful giving and, in context, clearly is about giving financially to the needs of the saints. Do you suppose it is limited to that? Do you think it might be that "cheerful givers" might include people who give their time, their energy, their talents, and more to meet the needs of others? Is it possible that these "cheerful givers" are giving to more than financial needs and giving more than money? If God is providing so we can be generous givers, wouldn't that easily overflow into other kinds of giving from God's supplying grace -- at home, at work, at church, in your neighborhood, just about anywhere?