“So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:7-8 NIV).
There are fifty words contained within the passage quoted above and two of them may benefit from a closer examination. The first word is “purposes,” a word that implies a willful determination, a premeditated action, an explicit decision, or the specific intent to engage in a particular action. The second is “heart.” This word refers to our innermost being in a spiritual, emotional, or physical sense.
Taken together within this passage, these words tell us that genuine Biblical giving should not be impulsive, reckless, or capricious. Instead, we should prayerfully and purposefully evaluate our financial offerings and give accordingly. The phrase, “let each one give as he purposes in his heart…” also implies that we are individually responsible for deciding what we should give, not another person or ministry.
Here are a few other important guidelines from these verses…
(N)ot grudgingly. Its interesting to note that one definition of the word “grudgingly” in the original language of this passage is “annoyance.” (1) This is important to remember, especially in those instances where we may be tempted to give simply because we want the person who is soliciting our financial support to stop.
While that approach may be successful (at least until he or she returns to solicit more funds), it does not correspond with genuine, Biblical giving. Instead, that response is more of a business decision- we are essentially paying someone to stop annoying us with their financial requests.
(O)f necessity. Viewers or listeners to various media ministries are surely familiar with the following appeal: “This ministry cannot continue without your financial support.” While there is an element of truth in that statement, its not that a ministry cannot continue without our support- the reality is that a ministry cannot continue without God’s support.
As mentioned earlier, it is good and appropriate for ministries to make their financial needs known in a respectful and God-honoring manner. However, there is no place for coercion, manipulation, or compulsion in the pursuit of financial support. Instead, we would do well to observe a far better principle in regard to such efforts: “where God guides, God provides.”
Finally, we’re told that “God loves a cheerful giver,” an attitude that should reflect our appreciation for what God is doing through a particular ministry.
(1) G3077 lupe https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?t=kjv&strongs=g3077