I have appreciated and been challenged by a few thoughts about giving recently from 2 Corinthians.
- God desires for giving to begin in the heart before it is seed in the hand. It is first God-ward: we give to God and then give to others.
- “that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.” 2 Cor. 8:2-5 NASB
- “God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Cor. 9:7 NASB
- God intends that those who have more than they need help to supply those who have need. It may well be that, down the road, the very ones you gave to will be God’s means of bringing blessing into your own life.
- “At this present time your abundance being a supply for their need, so that their abundance also may become a supply for your need, that there may be equality;” 2 Cor. 8:14 NASB
- The benefits and results of our giving are in proportion to how much we give.
- “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” 2 Cor. 9:6 NASB
- Note: this is not to say that a little seed dropped along the wayside cannot be used of God to bring about great blessing.
- God abundantly supplies seed to those who wish to sow for His glory and the blessing of others.
- “Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.” 2 Cor. 9:10-11 NASB
- God is the first and greatest Giver.
- “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.” 2 Cor. 8:9 NASB
- “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” 2 Cor. 9:15 NASB
This thought was already brought out in a prior comment about how a person’s spiritual condition is reflected by how they use their time & money.
The verse Matthew 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” always comes to my mind when I give because I have seen it played out in my life so many times. Where we invest our time, money, energy, etc. is what we become interested in…. our heart follows our investments! I am looking forward to the future day when the Lord unveils how He used our small investments and multiplied them, just as He multiplied the boy’s two small fishes and five loaves of bread.*