God Loves a Cheerful Giver
There was a news report the other day of police officers in Kansas City pulling people over to give them money from a secret Santa. The emotions rendered by the story were the exact opposite of those being expressed all over the U.S. in protests against police brutality.
Those who had their attentions “arrested” went from being confused, frustrated, and angry to thanking, and even hugging, law enforcement officers. Giver and recipient alike were equally warmed by the experience. What an awesome expression of grace. Such acts of kindness give us just a little taste of heaven—and of God’s goodness. They also provide insight into the manner in which God wants us to give.
Remember this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not reluctantly or out of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (HCSB)
I’ve heard this passage preached many times. Almost always, the emphasis has been on the importance of giving, but the context of the passage says a lot about the spirit of giving. God wants us to give cheerfully to others as an expression of grace manifesting in our lives.
Cheerful generosity can only breed in an atmosphere of faith. The Creator of our Universe is always able to make “every grace overflow” to us, which means that anything and everything we need to fulfill His will is available. The challenge is for us to actually believe that God will provide what He promises as we step out in obedience.
Once again, we can look to Jesus Christ as the model for all that we do. Jesus came to the Earth “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Being dependent upon His heavenly Father for everything, Jesus lived out of heaven’s sufficiency. The Son of God’s cheerful generosity, in turn, touched billions of lives.
The ability to give cheerfully depends upon our willingness to take risks by stepping out of our own small little worlds as the Holy Spirit leads. The process may be nerve-wracking at times, but the grand adventure of it all overflows with both meaning and joy.
