Every one as he hath determined in his heart, not with sadness, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7)
From Aleteia
By Philip Kosloski
God looks lovingly upon those who give freely from what they have, not counting the cost.
We often hear the phrase, "God loves a cheerful giver," and at times it can sound like a slogan some church fundraising expert came up with in the 20th century. While it certainly has been used by nearly every Christian non-profit and every parish priest asking for donations, the phrase is actually a direct quote from the Bible.
"God loves a cheerful giver"
The quote comes from St. Paul's letter to the Corinthians:
Consider this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:6-7)
This image that St. Paul uses should remind us of another passage from the Gospels, when Jesus invited a rich young man to give up everything and follow Him.
Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to [the] poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions. (Matthew 19:21-22).
The rich young man displays the exact opposite of the "cheerful giver," as he was reluctant to give to the poor what he had. Instead of desiring the treasure of heaven, he wanted to maintain his treasure on earth.
St. John Paul II reiterated the importance of being a cheerful giver in modern times in a letter for Lent:
This exhortation of St. Paul to the Corinthians is extremely relevant today (2 Cor 9:7). May you be enabled to feel the deep joy that comes from sharing food, from giving a welcome to a stranger, from assisting in the human advancement of the poor, from obtaining work for the unemployed, from the honest and courageous exercise of your civic, social and professional responsibilities, from the peace experienced in your homes and in all your relationships with others! All of this reflects the Love of God, to which we must be converted. Love inseparable from the so often urgent service of our neighbor. Let us desire, and let us deserve, to hear Christ tell us at the last day that inasmuch as we did good to one of the least of his brethren we did it to him!
The key in all of this is to recognize that anything we give away to those in need, we give away to Jesus Christ. This allows us to give with a loving, cheerful heart.
Instead of being the rich young man, who is saddened because he wants to keep everything he owns and not to be generous, St. Paul invites us to give and discover the joy that we will receive in loving Jesus in our neighbor.
God loves a cheerful giver, because a cheerful giver loves God.
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