Cheerful and Generous Givers Always Have Enough!

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"Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 1 Corinthians 9:6-8

Why is it that generous people always seem to have more than enough, whereas cheap and stingy people never seem to have enough? Today's scripture sheds some light upon this universal truth. 

The context is that the apostle Paul was sending men to Corinth to collect the gift they had pledged to help the poor in the church in Jerusalem. In the previous chapter he had praised the church in Macedonia (the Philippians) for their generosity. For they gave even though they didn't have a lot to give. So, Paul wants them to be prepared to give the gifts they had promised to Titus and some other men whom he had sent. 

He takes a moment to teach them the way giving and generosity work in God's kingdom. Most importantly God doesn't want anyone to give begrudingly. God doesn't need our money. We give out of our need to be generous as a response to God's generosity toward us. We give back to God in many ways, but here Paul is specifically talking about the giving of financial resources. 

Martin Luther quipped, "The last thing to be converted was a person's pocketbook". It is not that money is more important to God than our time or talents, but money tends to have the biggest hold over us. People who have a lot of money still worry about having enough. Sometimes people who have the least are the most generous and worry the least about having enough. 

So why does God want us to be joyful givers? Or, more specifically why does God LOVE cheerful givers. Because we give in response to God's greatest gift to us His Son, Jesus. We give cheerfully out of gratitude and in response to the indescribable gift God has given us in Christ. Thought we had nothing to give God in our sinful condition, God gave us everything he had by sending His Son to the earth to die for sins and give us eternal life. 

Next, Paul shares that as we give generously God will supply all of our needs. He even promises that he will provide for us so abundantly so that we will be able to share our abundance with others. Maybe this is why generous people can give cheerfully, because they are so sure that God will provide for them so much so they can give even more.

Are you a cheerful giver? Do you give reluctantly. or out of gratitude for all God has given you? Maybe cheerful givers are just plain more cheerful all around. I know I would much rather be around cheerful people, than misers. Giving generously will not only strengthen your trust and gratitude toward God, but it will also break the grip of the materialism over you that pervades our culture!