Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. —2 Corinthians 9:7.
God is working in us to conform our character and will to be like his own. God is a giver. God finds delight in generously blessing us. When we praise God for his grace, we are praising him for his gracious gift of love given to us in Jesus. He’s a giver! Now he asks us to be like him: to be generous and full of grace. Giving is not an arbitrary task imposed on us to fund our churches and ministries; instead, giving is part of our character transformation as we become more and more like God. Giving to others in need and to the work of the Kingdom is one of the most genuine ways we demonstrate our allegiance, dependence, and participation in the gracious work of God. We are most like God when we give… lovingly… cheerfully! Remember how the most famous verse in the Bible begins? “For God so loved the world that he GAVE…”