Given with Joy

Transcript

Hello, my friend… so glad you're with me today. This is By God's Call — day 336, Given with Joy.

"Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." 2 Corinthians 9:7.

Paul is writing to a church that had already promised an offering for the believers in need in Jerusalem. And instead of simply pressing for the amount, he pauses to talk about the heart behind the giving. Because for God, "how much" was never really the point. The point was always "how."

Notice that first word: "decided." This isn't a figure imposed from outside, not a quota someone else calculated for you. It's a personal decision, made in the heart, before the hand even moves. That means real giving starts long before the moment of handing something over — it starts the moment you choose, alone before God, what you're going to do.

Then Paul rules out two possibilities. The first: "not reluctantly." Have you ever given like that? Gritting your teeth, counting the days, feeling like you're losing something precious? That kind of giving exists, and God sees the difference. The second possibility he rules out: "not under compulsion." Giving only because someone demanded it, only because everyone was watching, only because shame pushed you into it. That's not the fruit of a free heart — it's the fruit of fear of judgment.

And then comes the phrase that holds the whole verse together: "God loves a cheerful giver." The word used here in the original Greek is where we get our word "hilarious." It's not just a polite smile. It's genuine, almost contagious joy, from someone who gives because they want to, because they found pleasure in it.

That changes the question we usually ask, doesn't it? We usually ask, "how much should I give?" — but maybe the right question is, "what state is my heart in when I give?" Because you can give a fortune with bitterness, and you can give very little with a joy that honors God. What He's looking at is the heart, not the spreadsheet.

I want to invite you to think about this: is there some area of your life — time, money, attention, encouraging words — where you've been giving out of obligation, with no joy at all? Maybe it's time to stop, pray, and decide again, this time with a free heart.

So today, I want to challenge you: choose one concrete way to give something — it can be small — and decide in your heart beforehand that it will be with joy, not with weight.

Stay close to God. Pray — then act. I'll see you tomorrow, my friend.