2 Corinthians 9:6-15
Cultivating a Generous Heart
“God loves a cheerful giver,” writes Paul to the Church in Corinth.
What a concept…
…that giving will make us happy, put us in a good mood, and is connected to cheerfulness.
But it’s the truth.
Anyone who’s ever dug down deep enough to give a gift that really does cost something in money, time or effort, and then has watched the smile of gratitude in the faces of those who receive—know what it means to be a cheerful giver.
When I was pastoring a church in East Ridge, Tennessee we started ministering to the hundreds of children living in a nearby extended stay hotel.
One way we did this was by having an afterschool program.
We would drive the church vans to the hotel as soon as the children got off the school bus, and then would take them back to the church for snacks, tutoring and fun.
We also purchased all of their school supplies, winter coats, hats and mittens, and even took meals over to the hotel every day during the summer when the kids were out of school.
Many of the parents of these children suffered from substance misuse and addictions.
Some were nearly children themselves.
One mother would meet her child Devonte, at the school bus and then watch him get on the church van.
She was a single mother who worked double shifts at Burger King to pay to stay in the hotel and take care of her child as best she could.
We had this ministry about 15 years ago.
And that mother stays in contact with me to this day.
She sent me pictures of Devonte when he enlisted in the military.
Sent me messages about Devonte going into the police academy and sent me pictures of him in his police uniform.
Another parent wrote me a letter several years ago saying that she never came out to meet us, but she watched closely what we were doing.
She appreciated that we loved on the people living in that place when most of the city looked down on them and were trying to get rid of them.
And she told me that she had become a Christian in the years since and was now involved in a similar ministry herself, and that her children are all headed in the right direction.
She was so very, very thankful for the ministry of the people of that little church in East Ridge.
That brings me joy and thanksgiving.
When Paul, in our Epistle Lesson for this morning, describes a “cheerful giver,” the Greek word he uses—hilaron—is related to our English word “hilarious.”
In some ways, I like “hilarious” better, because cheerful seems low-key and ordinary.
But the Gospel of Jesus Christ is anything but low-key and ordinary.
It is radical to the core, and when we become involved in what God is calling us to do in this world, when we give of ourselves for the sake of others, that is when it becomes time to strap ourselves in, put on the seat belt and get ready for the greatest ride imaginable.
“God loves a hilarious giver!”
“Hilarious” is a great big belly laugh that swells and expands until our whole body is shaking.
“Hilarious” is not a chuckle; it’s rolling in the aisles!
And God is looking for people who will give, as Paul writes, “not reluctantly or under compulsion,” but “cheerfully” even “hilariously!”
That’s how I want to live, how about you?
One day in 1888, a Norwegian businessman reached for his morning newspaper.
Flipping through the pages he came upon the shock of his life: he saw his own obituary.
It was all a terrible mistake.
His brother had died, and the paper had messed up, and confusing the two of them, had written an obituary for the wrong man.
What got him was that there was nothing in the obituary about his high principles, his beliefs, his values, the things he held most dear.
Instead, the obituary focused on his inventions, his factories, his patents, and his great wealth.
This Norwegian Businessman was the world-renowned Alfred Nobel.
Saddened by his obituary, Nobel decided that this experience had given him a second chance, an opportunity for resurrection and redemption and he decided to take it.
So, he started giving his money away.
And he made a provision in his will for the Nobel Prizes, rewarding those who made the greatest contributions to humanity and peace.
Today, he is best remembered for his generosity and his work for humanity: for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Alfred Nobel was given a second chance, a second chance to use his money to make this world a better place and to do it cheerfully, hilariously, even.
How about you and me?
How are we using our money, our talents, our time?
I have run two food pantries out of two different churches I have served.
And the thing I always told groups that I went to speak to, or prospective volunteers is this: “If you volunteer your time to serve at the food pantry, you will never go home that day and think to yourself: “I wish I hadn’t done that!”
Now I say that to people about serving at First United Methodist Church’s Community Meal Ministry or Food for Kids, the Morgan Scott Project, you name it…
…there are so many ways to serve God through serving and giving financially to this Church!
Serving others is what brings us humans happiness.
It creates endorphins.
It brings us joy.
And I think the reason it does this is because this is what God has created us to do.
Therefore, it is in our DNA to give and serve generously.
Someone once wrote:
“Giving makes me more like God.”
“Giving draws me closer to God.”
“Giving breaks the grip of materialism.”
“Giving strengthens my faith.”
“Giving is an investment in eternity.”
“Giving blesses me in return.”
“Giving makes me happy.”
God is generous.
God is loving.
God is humble.
God is self-giving.
God serves.
And we are created in the image of God.
And God is in such solidarity with us human beings that when we serve and are generous to others…
…we are actually doing this for God.
In Matthew Chapter 25 Jesus says to those who were generous with their time, their resources, their money: “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.
I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink.
I was sick and you visited me.
I was a stranger and you invited me in.”
Isn’t that beautiful?
In 1st John we are told that God IS Perfect Love.
And so, when we are loving others in tangible ways we are loving God.
And that is what life is all about.
“Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.”
Jesus says that this is what it’s all about.
All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.
James, the brother of Jesus wrote in James 2:15-17: “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.
If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
In our Epistle Lesson from 2 Corinthians 9 Paul writes, “Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God…”
When we give we are providing other people with the opportunity to experience the love and grace of God we have experienced through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord.
There’s an old fable about an elderly man who spent all his spare time planting fig trees.
“You’re a fool, old man,” the villagers would tease.
“Why are you planting fig trees?
Your going to die before you’ll ever bite into a single fig.”
You are quite right,” replied the man.
“I have spent many happy hours under fig trees and eating their fruit.
Those trees were planted by others.
Why shouldn’t I make sure that others know the same enjoyment I have had?
This is why we share our faith; this is why we give.
Faith is not something we hoard!
It is here to share.
There is plenty to go around.
It’s a free gift from God.
And it goes on for eternity.
God’s love is never ending!
Paul writes in our Epistle Lesson: “Thanks be to God for God’s indescribable gift!”
God created us with the need to give—to God and to others.
This is part of our makeup—in order to thrive we actually need to give.
Yet, there are other voices that war against our God-given impulse toward generosity, tempting us to hoard what we have.
One is the voice of fear.
So many of us are saddled with the burden of fear.
And it saps our joy.
A story is told of a man who was walking down the street just a few days before Christmas.
He came upon one of those Salvation Army Kettles.
As he approached the person ringing the bell, he felt a spirit of generosity that he doesn’t normally feel.
So, he reached into his pocket and pulled out all his change.
He dropped it all into the kettle with a smile.
Then, he turned to leave but stopped.
He reached into his back pocket, pulled out his wallet and emptied every last bill into the kettle as well.
Grinning like crazy, he walked away with a bounce in his step.
But about two blocks later, the bounce wore out.
Suddenly it hit him!
“What have I done?” he asked himself.
He turned around, walked back to the woman at the kettle and asked for his money back.
He got it, and then left again, walking very quickly this time, head down, looking neither to the left nor to the right.
For two blocks the man had walked in the kingdom of God.
For two blocks he was free of the burdens of his possessions.
For two blocks he was self-giving and generous.
For two blocks he was blessed; but like many of us, he could not stand the uncertainty that goes with that much blessing.
He wanted to continue to think he was in control.
He walked back, out of the realm of God and back into the well-worn grooves of this weary world.
(pause)
The more we grow in Christ, realizing that our lives belong to him and he can be trusted, the more generous and “hilarious” in our giving we become.
Our hearts are enlarged by the very act of giving.
Our lives are changed.
When we give generously, we become even more generous.
Like a laugh, generosity is infectious.
I want to live into becoming more and more of a hilarious giver.
How about you?
Will you pray with me?
Lord, we want to walk in your kingdom, free from the burdens of this world, the burdens of our possessions and our fear of losing them.
We want to be more like you.
Change our hearts and shift our aims from seeking personal pleasure to seeking the REAL pleasure, joy and happiness that comes from serving you.
We pray this in the name of Jesus who gave his all so that we might live.
Amen.
