Cheerful Obedience

2 Corinthians 9:7, “Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

I have really enjoyed practicing the expression of giving. It is amazing how clearly God will speak, and I feel like I am reliving the experiences of my book "God Speaks" anew. With each gift I see more clearly that this is more than overcoming materialism, or positioning myself to receive a blessing, but that it in so many ways is learning to love. In fact there is a scripture that keeps coming at me from multiple sources and directions. It is John 13:34 where Jesus says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” And so I do… unintentionally, but none the less love others as God would in my obedience to giving. And even more so, for the first time in my life I find the cheerful giving spoken of my Paul.

I have known how to give in obedience. I have known how to give sacrificially (grudgingly). I have known how to give to gain someone’s attention or significance in their eyes. But to give cheerfully, to give loving as God love, with His love is joyous. And so I shared the wonderful things associated with giving to my friend Russell on my commute home yesterday.

He laughed and said something to the effect of, ‘it is so cool how God is showing you to cheerfully obey. It is not just about the giving, but it is about cheerfully obeying all that He asks of us. Jesus went to the cross cheerfully, and there is a place that we accomplish all obedience that way. This is redemption or more specifically sanctification where we learn to cheerfully obey.’

Makes me kind of sad that everyone doesn't have a real relationship with God where they pursue Him with any regularity and have the same encounters. It all makes me wonder if others are oblivious to spiritual matters. (present company excluded) Yet at the same time it makes me realize how people can cheerful give their life to missions and the accompanying hardships so many represent. It helps me understand a little deeper the motivation of my friends like Russell and Jim.

Here’s to cheerful obedience, in whatever form the lessons come. Like going to see my friend Jeff Rice and celebrate the last of his chemotherapy as the tests have shown him to be cancer free. Though I think he got his boots from Robert Franklin's estate.

Now I would like to dedicate this song to Jeff Rice who in Christ has overcome cancer, and to Rich Hartenberg who a couple of days ago went to see Jesus via cancer.