How we give, is how we live

Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Cor. 9:7 NIV)

How we give, is how we live. We give with the focus on an immediacy of return, then that is what you get. However, we should not look at this act of giving to have a future impact of increase because we gave for necessity, it is for right now. No more, no less. Done, we do not get anything else from this. Yet, when we give, act, or contribute out of necessity, we become upset because a declaration of divine favor is not received. It was not suppose to be, remembered you gave out of necessity, it necessitates right now, not for a future increase upon your life. Actually, it does the direct opposite because what you put out, you get back; we mirrored. And yet, we are overwhelmingly surprised when the flood gates of abundance do not come our way. We have to remember life generally gives you what you put into it.
Now what about the second part of the verse, not to give of reluctantly, unenthusiastically, stingily or bittlerly, these will not come back with a pleasant surprise. Yet, we think as long as I gave, act, or did, it should not matter because in the end what was needed was obtained. Asked yourself, what happened when someone did this for you, or gave you something with this attitude. How did you like it? I am betting, not so much. See once again, we receive what we put out; it is mirrored whether we like it or not. It is amazing thing how we get all flustered, tensed, or ill at ease when we are treated in such way by another in their giving, doing, or behaving, but think nothing of it when we do it to others. This is why, it is important to be a cheerful giver because it reduces the times where you will have to encounter, face, or endure the other two. Yet, it does means no more acting from the position of a selfish place, and most of the time we fail in our actions as cheerful because we let the feelings, emotions dictate what we do in the heat, and the cool of the moment. An insidious quality of ‘my’ perspective ideology characterize typically by a narrow focus that is not inclusive of forgiveness. Yet, its effects and define the entire person through one frequently replayed, and 'revealing' moment of our authentic self. This is us, as we give as of necessity and/or grudgingly. We capture the essence of what should be or do in a distort lens, and we lose out on the blessings that achieve peace in the midst of a tsunami. All because we refuse to lay down our hurt feelings, deal with our anger, and remember it is not about us. And ultimately, it is more blesseth to give than receive in the arithmetic of God! This God loves a cheerful giver, and it matters for our future, our present, and our yesterdays....How we give, is how we live...we choose.