God Loves a CHEERFUL Giver... Not a Stupid One!

2 Corinthians 9:6-7English Standard Version (ESV) The Cheerful Giver

6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

We've all heard it said before, even if you've never read the Bible, you may have heard mention of this "cheerful giver" verse in children's stories or random quotes. When I was younger I used to repeat it to myself every time I gave away something that meant anything to me, which happened quite often as I'm sure you can imagine if you know me.

Sometimes I wasn't too happy about giving, only because I knew I wanted what it was I was giving for myself. I thought that being a cheerful giver meant being happy about giving up something instead of pouting about it. I thought it was sacrifice without complaining. I later realized that being happy, or pretending to be, was not what defined being a cheerful giver--at least not beyond the point of sharing your lunch in the cafeteria at school with someone who forgot theirs.

As we grow older, the needs of those around us begin to change, as do our own responsibilities, such as bills, taking care of your family, maintaining a job, etc. At one point your biggest problem was whether or not Jacob liked you, now you've got much bigger things to think about and you laugh at what used to be important.

Going through being homeless definitely put my problems into perspective, among the many other things the situation taught me. Losing everything doesn't just make you realize what's really important, but it also helps you realize what changes you need to make in order to be in a better position.

You see, one of my biggest weaknesses is that I've always had a tendency to give too much and often to the wrong people. It is that tendency that kept me in a broken state for so long. I realized through my own experience being homeless, that although God wants us to give, he doesn't want us to be stupid. The Bible speaks very often, in fact, about discernment and wisdom.

Here I was, thinking I was making the ultimate sacrifice by continuing to give even when it meant my own family went without. Often times I was being taken advantage of by the same people who I later realized wouldn't be there for me when I needed them the most.

I had to grow wise and learn how to give, not just cheerfully, but carefully. Over time I figured out more ways to give than just food and clothing. I began to give of my time by helping to find resources that could aid other homeless people even further. I began to think more long term rather than what I can physically give from what I own at the moment, which at the time was not much. In other words, I began to teach people to fish so that they could continue to feed themselves rather than just giving them some fish to last for a moment.

Matthew 7:6  New King James Version (NKJV)

6 “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.

I'm always encouraging others to give back, just as the Bible does... but in this post I wanted to go even further to encourage people to give wisely. It's okay to say no or to point someone in the direction of assistance without feeling like you've failed as a cheerful giver. Sometimes you may give of your time rather than money, and that's okay too.

Also the Bible says to guard your heart. If you're like me, always giving of yourself from the heart, then you've likely been taken advantage of, abused, and taken for granted. This is where the importance of guarding your heart comes into play. You can still be nice to people and recognize when you're dealing with a leech who will only break your spirit rather than show gratitude for your willingness to give.

This repetitive circumstance can often discourage a cheerful giver from ever wanting to give again. You don't want this to happen, and that's why it's so important that you find a healthy balance. As a kind hearted person the last thing you want to do is be driven to coldness.

So I encourage you to give wisely each day. Pray for discernment and wisdom when considering what to give, how much, and to whom. Don't be taken advantage of or have your heart trampled. Don't sacrifice your health or the well being of your family and/or lively hood because you feel it is "the right thing to do".

God made us each in HIS OWN IMAGE, with minds to think and understand as He leads, guides, and directs our paths. So use your best judgement and God will continue to make provision as you follow.