Monday, November 26, 2018: 2 Corinthians 9:6-8
6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.
Whenever you have the opportunity to give of something valuable to you, it is normal to struggle between feelings of obligation and joy—between thoughts such as, “I have to give” and, “What an opportunity to give!” In these moments, it helps to remember the gospel, for the gospel inspires cheerful giving. Out of His abundance, Christ gave us more than we could ever hope to have. The gifts God gives us are not to hoard, but to selflessly give to other people who are in need of help and grace. Giving to others, we demonstrate the gift Christ has given us.
The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth in regard to their giving. They had made a commitment to give to the church in Jerusalem, and Paul wanted to make sure they were ready to give what they had promised. It may have been the case that they promised a certain amount when they heard the need, but Paul was concerned that they hold true to their word when it was actually time to give. He gave them reasons to carry out their commitment to give. He sent them this encouragement that there are rewards in giving, assuring them that God loves a cheerful giver.
Whatever the church gave would be noticed by their heavenly Father, and He would grant them grace to carry out the good work they had initially set out to do. The church is the primary instrument God has to extend His grace and generosity to others. When we participate in generous giving, we participate in the generosity of God.
- If you asked someone close to you, would he or she say that your generosity reflected God’s?
- What is one way you can be more generous this week?
- Praise God for being generous to you, and ask for one specific way to be generous today.