God Loveth A Cheerful Giver

"Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:7) Why does God love it when we are cheerful givers? If the giving happens, why does He care how we feel about it? It's not just about the gift. Serving others in the way God intended was never meant to be a one way street. When we are giving, we ought to get as much out of the act of giving as the one who is receiving our gift, if not more so. Why would God be happy if only one of His children were blessed when there is a way that two of His children could be equally blessed? If giving and sharing and serving and building others up doesn't cheer us up, then we're doing it wrong. If we give only grudgingly, then we are cutting in half the blessings that come from our service. God doesn't just want us to be out there serving our brothers and sisters because they are in need. He wants us to serve because He knows that if we give with real intent and a sincere heart, then we won't be able to help but walk away from that experience being cheerful. It is paradoxical but the more selfless we become in our service, the more we will benefit ourselves from the service. If we only give out of necessity or grudgingly, then we are only helping one person, and poorly at that. But if we give cheerfully, then God's love radiates out between the giver and the receiver until both are lightened and cheerful. I know that the quickest way to cheer ourselves up is to give with the pure love of Christ.