All week I have had the chorus of a song we sing at church running through my head, “Our God is the giver of life!” I have also spent time pondering the verse that says, “God loves a cheerful giver” (II Cor 9:7).
I found myself asking why is a cheerful giver so important to the Lord that His Word says He loves them? And the simple answer is that a being a cheerful giver is what is best for me from my Lord!
He knows, and I am learning that seeing life through His eyes and perspective enables me to accept the moments that He is regularly giving me! But being able to recognize these gifts requires me getting my eyes some spiritual glasses.
My daughter graduated college this past Saturday in Milledgeville, my school also had their graduation that Saturday and all my children returned home. These all seem like reasons to celebrate, and I did! But I was also running around like a crazy person, so focused on the next thing, feeling my level of peace slip through my fingers.
Sunday when Lisa emailed our word for the week and I began pondering and asking the Lord what He wanted me to remember or know about giver, I immediately began to feel a shift in my spirit. Suddenly I was able to see the beautiful blue sky and green leaves blowing in the breeze and breathe in the Peace and Quiet that the Giver had provided for me!
He gives me moments all the time, but sadly, too often I am running so hard that I don’t recognize them. God loves a cheerful giver because in order to be able to give cheerfully I have to be in a place where I am recognizing the gifts the Lord is giving me, then giving becomes a natural overflow toward others.
So, cheerful giving is representative of being in close relationship with my Heavenly Father.
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. 2 Corinthians 9:7
Kelly Harvie has been married to her husband Matt for 28 years. They have five grown children with only one left in college. Kelly spends her time caregiving for her husband, connecting with her children, working at Artios and as much time reading as she can find!