5. Giving Leads to Joy

Slide 5 of 6

In 2 Corinthians 9:7, we read: “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” The Greek word for cheerful is hilaro, where we get our English word hilarious. Although many pastors teach that verse is saying we are to give hilariously (and who really does that?) the word hilaro in its original context to its original audience meant “joyful, cheerful, non-reluctant, already inclined, won over.”

In other words, give preparedly and with an anticipation of what God will do to multiply it for His purposes. That kind of giving produces joy, and an excitement of wanting to give more. That’s another biblical reason to give money away, even if we don’t think we have enough.

Giving Blesses Us—Abundantly

Do you realize the more you give, the more God will give you…so that you can continue to give? That’s right. We don’t give because then we’ll get. We give out of gratitude for what God has given to us, and so that God will give us more so we can give more. That’s the essence of giving in the New Testament.

Jesus said, “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back” (Luke 6:38, NLT).

Furthermore, 2 Corinthians 9:6 says, “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” Verse 8 adds: “And God is able to bless you abundantly so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (emphasis added). 

That is a promise of abundance to those who abundantly give.

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