Every man according as he purposed in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly, or of necessity, for God loveth a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7
A study of the law of Moses makes it clear that God required a significant portion of an Israelite’s income. A tenth belonged to the Lord. In addition, the Israelite was required to make sacrifices and offerings that exceeded the tenth. This was the law, and those who did not give as commanded were in violation and could expect punishment. Giving to God was important in the Old Testament times. Giving to God is just as important in New Testament times, but nowhere in the New Testament do we find a specific amount to give. So the principle of giving today is different from that of the devout Jew of old.
Many Christians view the tithe of the Old Testament as an excellent guide for the New. They faithfully and devoutly give a tenth of their income to the Lord. Others take for their guide the admonition to give as God has prospered them, as Paul instructed in 1 Corinthians 16:1,2. This is probably a more accurate guideline for our giving than the tithe. And yet, our text today gives us another consideration for our giving to the Lord: it is to be the amount that we have committed to in our heart. The idea is that our giving should not be an impulsive thing, or an inconsistent act. God expects us to examine our hearts and our pocketbooks and to make a commitment. This commitment is between ourselves and God, and is very similar in nature to a vow. God places a great deal of importance on this, and so should we. But the apostle raises yet another aspect of our giving, that of cheerfulness.
The word ‘cheerful’ in our text is translated from the same word from which we get ‘hilarious’. Yes, it means exactly that; giving is not a painful ordeal but an exciting delight. We have all heard people urging us to give until it hurts. But if it hurts, we are not giving correctly. Mind you, it might be hilarious to find out what some people give, but that is not what the apostle had in mind. Our giving should be a delightful task. And it should always be done with the thought of what our Lord has given to us and for us. Someone has said that we should always give that which we know we could well use ourselves, but which we have determined to give up so that we can give what we ought to the Lord.
The next time you give to the Lord, try to do so with a big grin. God will really love it if you really mean that grin. -Jim MacIntosh