God Loves A Cheerful GiverShembull

God loves a cheerful giver 

The other day my eight-year-old and I were playing driveway volleyball when we saw our elderly neighbor. She was standing in front of her garage, reaching up with a broom, trying to clean the leaves out of her gutter. I decided to stop our game and, before long, I was on a ladder sweeping out her stubborn leaves. While I pulled the leaves out of the gutter, my daughter swept them into a big pile. She was red cheeked and sweaty on this hot day. But not once did she whine. Not once did she mope. Not once did she give me a frustrated look. And I was so proud of her! So proud of the love she gave our neighbor. So proud of the joy she brought to an elderly sister in the faith. (So proud that I broke out the ice cream before Mommy got home to make dinner!)

That’s how your Father feels too. When you decide in your heart to give generously, trusting in Jesus to provide for your every need, God loves it. You might not see his face like my daughter saw mine, but believe these words—God loves a cheerful giver. 

Giving our time and money is one of the hardest parts of the Christian life. It requires every bit of God-given motivation. So take Paul’s words to heart today as you consider your response to Jesus’ forgiveness, grace, and salvation: “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 9:7).