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Giving is an important topic throughout the Bible. Scripture connects giving with worship of God and also with love for others, addressing both of the Great Commandments. It’s a key way that we store treasures in heaven rather than on earth, and that we choose to serve God rather than money.
But there is giving that honors God, and giving that doesn’t. Some give for men to see, like the hypocrites mentioned in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:1-2). Others give in a way that produces pride before God, like the Pharisee praying in the temple (Luke 18:9-12). And some, like Ananias and Sapphira, give to win the approval of others (Acts 5:1-11).
So, what kind of giving honors God? Giving from a heart that’s devoted to him and that longs to see his purposes accomplished. God loves a cheerful giver.
Characteristics of a Cheerful Giver
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:6-7
Cheerful givers know the Source
Cheerful givers start with a recognition that everything they have comes from God and belongs to him. As a result, they bless God in times of plenty and times of want (Job 1:21; Philippians 4:11-13). In times of plenty, they take advantage of opportunities for generosity, like the early believers who sold houses and land to take care of the needy (Acts 2:45; 4:32-37). Even in times of want, their hearts overflow with generosity out of love for God and for others, like the widow who gave all she had (Mark 12:41-44) or the believers in the Macedonian churches who gave lavishly in the midst of their own poverty (2 Corinthians 8:1-5).
Cheerful givers sow abundantly
Cheerful givers sow generously, not sparingly. They’re like Barnabas, who sold a field and brought the money to the apostles – as opposed to Ananias and Sapphira, who sold land but kept back part of the money while pretending to bring it all. God responded very differently to those two gifts! One was the gift of a cheerful giver; the other, a gift from a desire for the praise of people.
Cheerful givers overflow with generosity
Cheerful givers give willingly, even joyously – not grudgingly or under compulsion. Their giving flows out of the joy of their relationship with Jesus – like Zacchaeus, who responded to his encounter with Jesus with overflowing generosity (Luke 19:1-9).
Cheerful givers grow in preparedness
Cheerful givers don’t leave giving to chance. They prioritize it. They understand the importance of putting giving first (Proverbs 3:9). As a result, they’re prepared when an opportunity to give arrives. In his first letter to the Corinthian church, Paul advised them to prepare their gift for the saints in Jerusalem by setting aside money each week in proportion to their income (1 Corinthians 16:1-2). So when he came, the gift would be given joyfully – not grudgingly or sparingly or as an afterthought.
Impacts of a Cheerful Giver
Cheerful givers make a difference. Their giving impacts their own lives, opening doors for God’s blessing. It impacts the lives of others, blessing them in times of need. And it impacts the praise and glory of God.
Impact for the Giver
And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written:
“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;
their righteousness endures forever.”
Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
2 Corinthians 9:8-11
Cheerful givers experience the abundant blessings of God. Sometimes, those blessings are material. Other times, they’re not. But one thing is certain: cheerful givers have all that they need at all times.
Part of this abundance comes from their own sense of gratitude and their realization that God owns all things and is the source of every good gift (James 1:17). Part of it comes from God’s overwhelming generosity – it’s been said that we can never outgive God!
Cheerful givers experience God’s riches in every way – spiritually, relationally, materially. But they’re not enriched simply for their own gain. God blesses them so that they can abound in every good work, so that they can be generous on every occasion. Like Abraham, they’re blessed in order to be a blessing. They sow generously – but God provides the seed that they sow.
Impact for the Recipients
This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people…
(2 Corinthians 9:12a)
The consequences for the recipient are obvious – their needs are met! And these aren’t just material needs – though it usually starts there. As these basic needs are met, the recipients often experience not only gratitude but also hope. They’re encouraged by the fact that they are not forgotten – by God or by his people. And their encouragement and hope overflows in praise to God.
Impact for God’s glory
…but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
2 Corinthians 9:12b-15
The cheerful giver is not a source of blessing but rather a conduit of God’s blessing. The most important result of cheerful giving is the resulting praise and glory to God (see Matthew 5:16). This praise comes not only from the direct beneficiaries of the gifts, but from others who see God’s love poured out through the generosity of his people.
Generosity – the sharing of our lives and our possessions – is the perfect accompaniment to our profession of the Gospel. It’s an encouragement to believers and a witness to non-believers. It’s an evidence of the grace of God, as that grace is demonstrated through our giving and sharing. And it’s a reflection of his image – the image of a God who gave his Son to meet the greatest need of all time.