Mission Briefing
Give Like You Mean It
Have you ever given something — maybe your time, your help, or some money — but the whole time you were grumpy about it? God notices not just WHAT we give, but HOW we give it! He’s looking for something very specific: a cheerful heart. And He promises that how much we open our hands affects how much comes back to us.
What Does This Mean?
Second Corinthians 9:6-7 gives us a farming picture: planting a few seeds means a small harvest; planting abundantly means an abundant harvest. Paul applies this to giving. But the key is verse 7 — God isn’t interested in reluctant or pressured giving. He wants gifts that come from a decision of the heart, given freely and joyfully. “God loves a cheerful giver” — the Greek word for cheerful is hilaros, from which we get the word hilarious! God loves giving that overflows with joy. That kind of generosity is transforming — both for the giver and the receiver. It’s one of the most powerful forces in God’s kingdom.
Hero Challenge
This week, find one opportunity to give something — your time, a kind word, help with a task, or something you own — and do it with maximum cheerfulness. Smile while you do it. Mean it. Notice the difference between giving because you feel you have to versus giving because you genuinely want to bless someone. Then ask yourself: which kind of giver do I want to become?
Did You Know?
Paul wrote 2 Corinthians 9 to encourage the Corinthian church to follow through on a generous offering they had promised for struggling believers in Jerusalem. He didn’t want them to give out of embarrassment or social pressure — he wanted their gift to be a true expression of grace. The word he used for “cheerful” (hilaros) was sometimes used in Greek to describe a face bright with joy. God wants our giving to look like that — bright, alive, and completely willing.
Ages 4-6: Little Hero Question
Have you ever given something away with a big smile? How did it feel? How do you think it made the other person feel?
Ages 7-9: Growing Hero Question
Paul says not to give “reluctantly or under compulsion.” What’s the difference between giving because you have to and giving because you want to? Which do you think God enjoys more and why?
Ages 10-13: Champion Question
The sowing and reaping principle suggests that giving generously leads to receiving generously. But this isn’t a formula for getting rich — it’s a principle about how God’s economy works. How do you understand the relationship between cheerful generosity and God’s provision? How does this apply beyond money to other areas of life?
♥ Mission Prayer
Lord, I want to be a cheerful giver — not someone who gives out of guilt or pressure, but someone whose heart overflows with joy in giving. Help me to sow generously in every area of my life and to trust that You bless open hands. Make me someone who gives like You give.
