It was one of the first Christian songs I learned. Maybe you know it too:
Happy, happy, happy, happy, happy are the people whose joy is the Lord
Happy, happy, happy, happy, happy are the people whose joy is the Lord
Where does this happy feeling come from? Where does the happy feeling come from?
This happy feeling comes from Jesus, every day He more than pleases
That's where this happy feeling comes from!
This happy feeling, according to the apostle Paul, carries over to the giving of our tithes and offerings as well. Because believers live under grace and not the law, Paul teaches that "every man should give what he has decided in his heart to give..." (2 Cor. 9:7a). As disciples of Jesus, we have freedom to give whatever we want and to be as generous as we want.
God has been generous to us. He gave the very best He had - His only begotten Son to be our Savior. God's grace moves us to be generous as we give a portion of our riches back to Him and His church. There is no set amount - we can be as generous as we want to be!
The word, "cheerful," in the Greek can actually be translated as "hilarious." May God's love for you in Christ move you to be a happy, hilarious giver of your time, talents and riches to your Lord and His church!
