2 Corinthians 9:6-7 - “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 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.”
God loves it when we give cheerfully! As we near the end of an extended time of prayer, fasting, and giving in preparation for Easter, we hope that these practices have produced joy in your hearts. Did you know that the words to sow and to reap are words used by farmers and gardeners? To sow means to plant seeds and to reap means to gather a harvest of plants. Have you ever planted anything and watched it grow? In this scripture, God wants us to picture the kingdom of heaven like a garden. As children of God we get to join him in the process of taking care of the garden. Throughout our lives God gives us seeds that we get to spread all around us, everywhere we go. These seeds represent the goodness of God that we are tasked with sharing throughout the world. Sometimes we get to give of our money and resources. Sometimes God calls us to give of our time to someone who needs to encounter his love. There are so many unique ways that we get to give of what God has given us!
We also get to enjoy the generosity of what God allows us to reap. When we happily give to others, we can trust that whatever God chooses to provide us with in our own lives will be better than anything we can ask of or imagine. If we ever don’t know what to give or how much to give, we can always pray and ask the Holy Spirit.
Questions:
Have you ever received a gift from God? What was it?
How do you feel when you give something away? Happy or sad?
Has it ever been hard to give of your time or resources?
How can you start to give more cheerfully?
Why do you think God loves a cheerful giver?