Giving

2 Cor. 9

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. This sowing bountifully goes against our natural, fleshly thinking. Our flesh and the world adhere to the idea that the more you get the more you keep. Generosity is a rarity not the norm. But for the Christian it should be different. 

I know that there were years in our marriage when we were struggling financially. During those years it was so difficult for me to be generous. I felt that whatever we had, we should keep. How else would we survive? The flaw in my thinking was in not trusting God to provide. I was trying to do all the providing. Now, I know that I made those years much harder than they could have been. My grasping negated God's giving. 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. God was able to be my sufficiency if I had only let Him! Grace was there for me in great measure! 

You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will provide thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. Enriched not impoverished! Giving produces a thankful heart, a heart grateful to God for all that He has given to us. I am sure that God would have met the needs of the saints in distress without the gift from the Corinthians, but it would not have grown the heart of the Corinthians. It would not have given them overflowing grace and thankfulness. It would have left their faith impoverished instead of enriched. Paul wanted them to give because it was crucial for them, for their faith. 

We give because it is good for us not only because it is good for the receiver. What a thought! I am ever amazed at how Jesus has altered our thinking. Life as Jesus sees it is vastly different than what I think. I so need the mind of Christ! And Philippians says Have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus...Our mind can be His mind. He has transformed us by the renewing of our minds. He has gifted us with so much, but have we accepted and used those gifts?

Father,

Give me a generous heart. Transform my mind. Make me see life from Your point of view so that my heart of thankfulness will abound in praise.

In Jesus name,

Amen