GIVING HEARTS ARE BLESSED (2)

“So let each one GIVE as he purposes in his HEART, not grudgingly or of necessity; for GOD LOVES a CHEERFUL GIVER” – 2 Corinthians 9:7

GIVING HEARTS are BLESSED because cheerful giving thrills and reflects God’s Heart: “So let each one GIVE as he purposes in his HEART, not grudgingly or of necessity; for GOD LOVES a CHEERFUL GIVER. And God is able to make ALL GRACE abound toward you, that you, always having ALL sufficiency in ALL things, may have an abundance for EVERY good work” (2 Cor.9:7-8). Real Giving is heart-born: “GIVE as he purposes in his HEART.” Heart giving is what matters to God! Tax collectors do not care if one is angry or happy about paying taxes; they only care that we pay our dues. God is however more interested in the attitude of our hearts as we give. The result: We’ll be “ENRICHED in EVERYTHING for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God” (v.11). Giving propels a “Virtuous cycle” of Totality: ALL Grace, ALL Sufficiency in ALL things, for EVERY good work, enriched in EVERYTHING for ALL liberality!

People often think of generosity in terms of giving money freely, randomly, exuberantly, and at no real cost to their livelihood. Many are paralyzed from giving as they use this as an excuse to hold tightly to their finances until they can “afford” to give. Although generosity is often associated with monetary gifts, living generously extends well beyond money and includes small acts of kindness and compassion from a loved one, friend or even a stranger (1Tim.6:18). First and foremost, it is about the HEART. Jesus highlights the beauty of a poor widow's offering who gave all she had to live on, and in her poverty, lived generously (Lk.21:1-4). Giving that pleases God costs us something. Many people give lots of money, yet do not live generously. They are stingy with their time, resources, and even their gratitude. The generous are preoccupied with questions like, “How does God want to use me? Where is God leading me?” They first give their heart!

Heart Giving is not just based on quantity, but on quality. Here are four qualities to consider:

Heart giving is an intentional priority: We must make giving a priority. God gave us His first and His best, His one and His only. So, giving must be a first fruit. We are to give our first and our best. It’s the very first thing that we’re to do with our time, talents, and treasures. Someone summed it up like this: “Give the Lord the first part of each day, the first day of each week and the first tenth of your Income!”

Heart giving is sacrificial:  When giving to God, we must challenge ourselves with such questions: “What have I given up in my giving? What have I gone without in my giving?” Giving isn’t always going to feel good! It may sometimes come with a struggle and some pain. God is not impressed with all our evangelical talk if we are unwilling to sacrifice anything for Him. He longs for hearts that are completely committed to Him. David was offered everything that he needed to make a sacrifice, but he respond: “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that which costs me nothing” (2Sam.24:24). That’s sacrificial giving.

Heart giving is sincere: Giving must be honest – proportional. God exemplifies this. He is the Creator of everything. He owns it all so He gave us the Gift that simply could not be matched – Jesus. God is not deceived. We are to give according to what He has given to us.                             

Heart giving is cheerful: God loves a cheerful giver. He doesn’t just tell us how to do this. He actually exemplifies it: “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him…”  (Isa.53:10). This speaks of God finding pleasure in the sacrifice of His only Son. This was possible as He looked through the lens of eternity to see the ultimate outcome. Whatever may be our situation, we must learn to give cheerfully always.