May 21

The Lord loves a Cheerful Giver

            The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.  Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.

2 Corinthians 9:6-8

I have heard this passage used to guilt people into giving more than they wanted to and demanding that they put on a happy face to prove to God that they are cheerful.  That is the complete opposite of what Paul is saying here.  He is saying that you have the ability to choose what you give and that the gift should be given out of a place of joy and freedom.  If the gift is demanded…if it has to be manipulated out of your hands, then do not give it.  God does not need it to accomplish His purposes in the world.  He does not need your time.  He does not need your money.  He does not need your expertise.  He has access to everything that you have to offer and more. 

Giving is as much for the giver as for the receiver.  It is an opportunity to be partners with God in the work that He is doing here on Earth.  It is a chance to invest the resources that we have and see them produce real change in the world.  Giving allows the giver to be free to enjoy what they have and free to bless others with what they give away.  If someone is forced to choose between feeding their family and supporting a worthy cause, neither option will bring joy.

One of the things that leads to cheerfulness in giving is when one person is not restricted to always being the Giver or always being the Receiver.  There are unspoken power dynamics when the giving is one-sided.  There are value judgements that come when someone is always needy and receiving and there is the danger of a hardness of heart when someone always has to be the one that gives.  Some of the most joyful giving that I have done has been through barter and exchange.  I offered to do some training for free if the person that I was training would teach me something as well:  a music lesson, a skateboarding lesson, a magic trick…it did not matter.  When there is the ability to give of ourselves to someone else, it affirms our value and how much the other person appreciates us.

Our kids are often in the place of having to receive.  They receive lessons and meals and therapies and lectures and are always being taught something.  I have found it incredibly useful to allow my son to teach me things as well.  It could be how to prepare his favorite dish.  It could be how to build something with legos or how to sing a song or how to play a board game.  When he can teach dad his self-esteem grows, he stands a little taller and realizes that he has skills and abilities that he can share with the world, just like the adults do.  When both parties are able to serve and give to each other, relationship grows and knowledge grows and there is a freedom to both give and receive with joy and eagerness.  And God loves that.

Because God loves a cheerful giver.

A moment to reflect:

What is something that your child can teach you?