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
Paul instructs Christians to give as they "purpose in their hearts" and not from pressure. The verb "purpose" means "to intend or resolve" (The American Heritage Dictionary). When you "purpose" to do something, you resolve to do it. Those who give because of coercion don't please the Lord—no matter the amount of the gift or any flourish that comes with it. Reluctance in giving does not please God.
God loves those who give because they want to— joyfully and willingly. The benefit we receive from giving can be canceled by our motive. This is why many Christians have paid tithes but haven't seen the blessings God's Word promises (Mark 10:29-30, Luke 6:38). There is more to giving than just our actions. Our motive—what we purpose in our heart—is very important.
Paul instructs us not to give grudgingly. The Greek words "ek" and "lupe, which are translated as "grudgingly," mean "from, out," and "sadness" (Strong's Concordance). In the New Testament, the Greek word "lupe" was translated eleven times as "sorrow," twice as "heaviness," once as "grudgingly," once as "grievous," and once as "grief." Christians who give out of sorrow, hurt, grief, or resentment are not cheerful givers. Their gifts are not given in faith and do not please God. Without faith, you cannot please Him (Hebrews 11:6).
We go through levels of giving that are similar to levels of growth in teaching children. First is the obedience level, where children are taught to do the right thing. Children are not apt to understand completely, but they need to learn positive patterns before their reasoning develops. In the same way, when believers first come to the Lord, they need to establish positive patterns of obedience.
Then, children begin to imitate their parents' actions. This is similar to being led by the Holy Spirit in giving. Just as a child's parent, the Holy Spirit becomes the believer's teacher and guide. Like the parent, the Holy Spirit wants the believer to follow His instruction in giving. Our giving, when led by the Holy Spirit, benefits both others and us.
Still, there is another level of giving Paul referred to in 2 Corinthians 9:8.
The crucial incentive for giving is to "purpose it in our hearts," as Paul described. This is similar to children who serve, not just out of obedience because of the fear of punishment or because they are motivated by what they have learned, but because their hearts have been changed to the extent that their greatest desire is to do what is right. Every parent longs for this in their child's life, and this is what the Lord longs to see in His child's life.
If we only give when the Holy Spirit leads us to give, then that is equivalent to children who only say they love their parents when they are instructed to say it. Though there is a time for instruction, it is not the ultimate way. There need to be times when children just say they love their parents because that is what is in their hearts. Likewise, there need to be times when we give just because it is what it is in our hearts.
At times, the Holy Spirit may lead us to give a specific amount of money to help meet a need in another person's life or in our own life. However, it is also important to give just because we desire to. Christians who only follow the Holy Spirit's leading in their giving and do not purposely give out of their hearts miss the joy they can bring to the Lord through their unsolicited and cheerful giving.
Joyful giving comes out of the purpose and the motive of your heart. Keep sowing in your heart the gift Jesus has given you, and joy will be returned to you. You will give out of your heart as Jesus gave to you out of His. You will receive pressed down and running over out of the abundance of His grace.
www.lynnlacher.com/2025/01/a-cheerful-giver.html
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