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. 2 Corinthians 9:7
“Jesus wishes us to pay heed to the delight that there is in the blessed Trinity about our salvation, and that we should long to have as much spiritual pleasure, through His grace…
Our pleasure in our salvation should be like the joy that Christ has in our salvation, as much as that may be whilst we are here. All the Trinity was at work in the Passion of Christ, ministering abundance of virtues and plenitude of grace to us through Him, but only the Virgin’s son suffered; and at this the whole blessed Trinity rejoices eternally.
And this was shown in these words, ‘Are you well pleased?’, and by the other words that Christ said, ‘If you are pleased, then I am pleased’ — as if He said, ‘It is joy and delight enough to die, and I ask nothing else from you for my suffering but that I may please you.’
And in this, He brought to mind the character of a glad giver: a glad giver pays little attention to what he is giving, but his whole desire and his whole intention is to please and comfort the one to whom he is giving it; and if the recipient accepts the gift appreciatively and gratefully, then the courteous giver thinks nothing of all his expense and all his trouble because of the joy and delight that he feels at having pleased and comforted the one that he loves.”
Julian of Norwich (1342-1416), an anchoress, in Revelations of Divine Love (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015) 71.
I’ve been overwhelmed with expressions of love for my birthday from so many glad givers. Thank you!
As this is the second week of Advent, let us consider the love of God revealed to us in Christ Jesus. Few describe it like an anchoress! An anchoress was a woman who lived with simplicity so she could dedicate her bandwidth to helping people anchor their lives to Jesus (which is precisely the ministry of my wife, Jenni, today)!
In Revelations of Divine Live, Julian helps us discover that Jesus is the model for what it means to be a glad giver. He willingly gave His life for us, and we should have the same mindset “whist we are here” (cf. Philippians 2:1-11). Will you be a “glad giver” in the limited time you walk this earth?
Notice that glad givers pay little attention to what they are giving, their whole desire and intention is to please and comfort the recipient. They think nothing of the expense and the trouble in giving because they remember that Jesus gave His life for us because He loves us! Make it so of us, Lord Jesus, so people see Your love through our joyful giving!