Generosity and Cheerful Giving
Generous giving with joy reflects God's abundant nature and blesses both giver and receiver.
Paul teaches that 'God loves a cheerful giver' and that generosity meets needs while producing thanksgiving to God. Giving should be 'not reluctantly or under compulsion' but from hearts overflowing with gratitude for God's gifts. The measure we give is the measure we receive—not as transaction but as spiritual principle. Generosity breaks attachment to money and trusts God as provider. “Cheerful” is hilaros (2 Corinthians 9:7) — the giver God loves is hilarious about it, which rules out grudging duty. We give because we have received.
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Wesley's three rules of money—'Gain all you can, save all you can, give all you can'—placed generosity as the goal of economic activity.
Second Epistle to the Corinthians