In the Bible You can see how God mentions to us about the benefits of being a cheerful giver, and this as a sign of being in tune with the fruits of the Spirit. Giving is an embodiment of the character of Christ, as it is a behavior that demonstrates the essence of our Lord in person.
the act of to give can come in different forms: since we can to give our time, our energy, our possessions, and even our opinions, likewise, we, the children of God, must to give as a consequence of our own will, since it comes from the bottom of our hearts, it will make us feel pleasure to be generous with our neighbor.
So, of course, the gifts and presents that we give with love and with a sense of commitment are the most motivating and stimulating for the other person’s spirit, and if so for them, even more so for God.
Consequently, the to give it not only makes us happy, but it also makes us earn God’s affection, for God has always loved the one who gives with eternal joy in his heart.
What is a Cheerful Giver?
The Cheerful Giver in the Bible, it is the person who gives “seeds” and sows in other people, either to meet their need or for their contentment, with the desire to do so in their heart. Giving with joy is the attitude with which a child of God should sow to others, especially those in need.
In addition, the one who gives with the right feeling will feel happiness after doing it. The person who feels this happiness finds it impossible to hide the joy from him, because that joy will not only define how the other person feels, but also how the giver feels. This is so beautiful that it even deeply impacts the heart of the person who receives it, and also makes God happy.
“Remember this: a farmer who sows only a few seeds will get a small harvest. But whoever sows bountifully will reap a bountiful harvest. Each one must decide in his heart how much to give; and do not give grudgingly or under pressure, “because God loves the person he gives with joy”
And God will generously provide everything you need. Then they will always have everything they need, and there will be plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say: “Share freely and give generously to the poor. Your good deeds will be remembered forever.”
For it is God who provides the seed to the farmer and then the bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of bounty in you.
Indeed, they will be enriched in every way so that they can always be generous; and when we bring their offerings to those who need them, they will give thanks to God. Then two good things will result from the ministry of giving: the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.” 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 (NLT)
The apostle Paul mentions two essential attitudes that the Cheerful Giver You should avoid at all costs when giving:
Grudge
The Greek word that he translated reluctantly literally means to confess or sadly. In this same way we can infer that whoever gives reluctantly is saddened because he feels that he is giving away his belongings, his time or his money.
give out of obligation
The person who gives a gift or sows a seed out of obligation inevitably feels pressured, and this attitude is completely an antonym of giving from the heart.
Why be a cheerful giver?
There is a very famous phrase that states that we must give until it hurts, and when it hurts the most, in the same way give even more. However, under God’s guidelines, giving is something else entirely.
As we have read, God requires us to give joyfully. So what better inspiration than this? Knowing that God is happy when I give joyfully. Let’s think about it this way, what son would be happy on his birthday to see his father approaching with a gift, but he has a lot of sadness and a huge face of pain? Actually, believe it or not, the main joy of the child is made by noticing his father pleased to make him happy through gifts. In this same way, we can observe that God, above all else, desires the disposition of our hearts in each seed that we sow.
So therefore you have these reasons why being a Cheerful Giver:
Because we personify Jesus Christ.
Giving is one of the ineffable characteristics of Jesus Christ, it is impossible for us to give generously without having the essence of Him really planted in our lives. When a man is truly willing to give from the bottom of his heart, it is a response to the abundant grace of God that dwells in him.
Because we glorify God.
Being a Cheerful Giver It demonstrates our obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ once taught that we must shine our light before all men, so that they can see our good works, and glorify our Father who is in heaven (Read Matthew 5:16).
We, the children of God, when we give to someone, when we help and when we are generous, we glorify our Father.
He says Matthew 10:8 that “Freely you have received, freely give.” This tells us that we must be generous, because we cannot glorify God when we should use something we have to help someone and we do not. For everything we have has been by the grace of God, everything we have received has been given by God.
God wants us to sow.
God demands that we not keep the seeds that he gives us, because our hearts should not be only to ask, but primarily to give. We know that the man who sows today will become a reaper tomorrow.
The Bible tells us that God has always known our hearts, that’s why He gives seeds to those who sow. Each person can receive according to what he can sow, since it is impossible to reap something that he has never sown. Whenever you sow the fruits of the Spirit of God, you will receive: I assure you that if you sow bread to the needy, there will never be a lack of bread in your house.
The spirit of Mammon and the Cheerful Giver.
In the book of Matthew, chapter 6, verse 24, Jesus informs us that we cannot serve two masters, for whoever loves one somehow hates the other. In this same way, we cannot serve God and at the same time love riches.
In the Bible, the word that translates the word riches is mammonas, whose etymology comes from the word Mammon. The word Mammon also has an Aramaic origin which, in a literal sense, means wealth. Basically, Mammon is the god of material greed. It is to be understood that no one can serve God and Mammon at the same time. Mammon is a Chaldean god, which was invoked by the pagans to supply economic needs. The pagans, when invoking this God, did so with the motivation of stopping more fortunes and with the fear of losing what they possessed.
The Cheerful Giver It shows that he is detached from the love of riches, actually possessing them does not turn them into mere riches but into seeds. He says Ecclesiastes 5:10 that “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money; and he who loves to have much will not bear fruit”. For this reason, the cheerful giver breaks with these stigmas and God blesses him, because having goods in his hands, his love is mainly for God and never for material goods and money.
Methods and Tips to be a joyful giver.
It is scientifically proven that being a Cheerful Giver It contributes to our happiness, because there are psychological studies that show that to be happy we must be generous. Likewise, the practice of the gospel entails thinking about others, since happiness and salvation are not enclosed in mere selfishness. To be a joyful giver, I invite you to read the following Tips, that will bring you closer by transmitting the love of God through generosity:
1. Model Jesus Christ.
The main way to be a joyful giver is to act like the greatest giver that ever was, the child of God. We know that he turned his back on riches and glory in the kingdom to come to earth by his and her will and give us eternal life.
“By my example I have shown you that it is necessary to work hard to help those in need, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus: “There is more happiness in giving than in receiving” Acts 20:35 (NIV)
2. Fill yourself with God.
Giving is one of the main characteristics of a father to his son. When we highlight the search for God’s presence in our intimacy, our life immediately begins to change, and the way we see these types of actions does too. So instead of being seen as a burden, giving can be seen as a necessity or even a luxury.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (KJV)
3. Think that you will make someone else’s life happier.
Regardless of the person we are going to give to, internalizing in our thoughts that what we do with our hands will fill another person’s life with joy becomes an incentive for us to give.
“If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be perfect.” John 15: 10-11 (NKJV)
4. Don’t forget to be generous with yourself.
Self-love is essential to be able to love others, God adopted us as children so that we can understand the value we have, the Lord wants to maintain that esteem in us. If we understand the value we have as children of God, our self-esteem will increase considerably, and feeling good about ourselves is a stimulant to be able to be generous with others, because to love others, we must learn to love ourselves.
“And the second is similar: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:39 (KJV)
5. Accept the generosity of others.
Giving is sowing, reaping is receiving. The cheerful giver must learn to ingratiate himself in the generosity of the other. Well, who puts in the heart of the other person is to be generous with you is God, so just as we give, being grateful with what we receive will make us happier.
“The generous soul will prosper; And whoever satisfies, he will also be satisfied.” Proverbs 11:25 (KJV)
Prayer to be a joyful giver.
Daddy God, today I want to thank you. I thank you for life, I thank you for all the good you have done for me, and I thank you for this inspiration of yours, which you allow me to read today. I ask you, Lord, that what I have read adheres to my character. May my character become the character of Christ, so that in this way, I can be more and more pleasing to you. Lord, use me as a blessing to other people. I ask you to make me a good sower, and to give me seeds, which I can sow in fertile lands; seeds with your words, seeds of…