Want to. → Have to.

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

Normally I hear this when we're gonna give money to something or when the offering buckets come around... so I always contributed this verse to God wants me to give Him money and be happy about it.

 For some reason I think God cares a lot more about our hearts than our money. Just maybe...

Reluctance is a mind matter. I know I should.... but I don't want to. 
Compulsion is a heart matter. I feel like I should/if I don't I'll feel bad/guilt... but I don't want to.

These are regular feelings and thoughts we have as we go throughout our Christian lives. I know I should read my Bible... but I don't want to. I feel like I need to pray... but I don't want to. Then we begin feeling like we have to... then the guilt begins. 

Even though this verse is somewhat talking about money, I think there's something deeper God wants from our hearts. If I had a wife and she asked me one day "why don't you say 'you love me'" The normal response from a prideful guy like myself would be either

• reluctant or forced 'i love you'
• i don't want to say it
• no
• why..... 

Either way... all of a sudden I don't want to say it... or it feels like there isn't anything behind it.  

This is because "have to" came before "want to". 

Let's revisit the situation and pretend my wife asks the same question, but the whole day I wanted to say "I love you" anyways. My response would be a simple "I love you" with out feeling complused or reluctant. In fact I would probably be excited to tell her.

In the same way, our walk with God we've got to mature into a "want to" mindset before we hit the "have to" moments. If you tell me to read the Bible and I already wanted to... Of course I will read. If you tell me to set up some chairs and I already wanted to serve the church, or ask me to be a counselor and I already wanted to see kids mature in Christ. Of course I will say yes.  The thing is most of us don't get to a "want to" state, because we choose not to, but "want to" has to come before "have to", for the cheerful giver... and God loves cheerful givers.

You a cheerful giver? 

Want to → Have to.