2 Corinthians 9: 7--8
Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.
--NASB
In the name of the One Who loves a cheerful giver, amen.
Why is it that God is always crawling inside our heads? Isn't it enough that we walk the walk and talk the talk, do we really have to think the thought as well? What difference does it make if we give cheerfully, or if we give grudgingly?
To begin with, when we give cheerfully we are truly giving to the Lord, and not merely trying to look good before other people. Then there is also the fact that when we give cheerfully we give a good witness to others; we show that there is joy in our hearts and we do not hang onto material things as if they were where our sustenance comes from. The fact of the matter is that we do not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4: 4/Deuteronomy 8: 3). Those words include the holy Gospel which give us eternal life. They are the words that tell us how much God has done for us in sending His Son to live a perfect life in our place, and die the death that paid for all our sins. Truly the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).
Having knowledge, the knowledge of experience, that God has given us the gift of eternal life gives us joy in our hearts and makes us cheerful givers. This is even more true when we realize that what we do for the least of Jesus' brothers we do for Him. Amen.
Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, by Your Holy Spirit increase our awareness of the great gift You gave to us in our brother Jesus. Increase our joy and help us to give cheerfully, amen.