2 Corinthians 9:6-8
Here is something to remember. The one who plants only a little will gather only a little. And the one who plants a lot will gather a lot. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give. You shouldn’t give if you don’t want to. You shouldn’t give because you are forced to. God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to shower all kinds of blessings on you. So in all things and at all times you will have everything you need. You will do more and more good works. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (NIRV)
I have seen and heard this verse many times over the years. It seems simple enough. Paul is telling the early church to be accountable to their promises of gifts of support to the church and to do so joyfully. But I think there is a challenge in being a joyful giver. The challenge lies in that human notion that WE have worked hard and WE deserve to keep that which WE earned for our hard work.
What we lack is the realization that we do not have the capability to work hard or the opportunity to provide goods and services to others without the gifts that God has first given to us. The gift of our time as our life on Earth. The gift of our talents as our ability to do work in the world. The gift of our earned treasure as a tangible reward for the use of our talents during our time. It is counterintuitive in today’ s society to think of God and his people first. We find joy in how full we fill our bank account or how many accolades we earn based on our work efforts.
But our validation should not be through the size of our pocketbook but in the spirit of our ability and willingness to give back in honor of the gifts that we were first given. We are merely stewards of God’s resources. He entrusts us with these gifts and we are made to be channels of our time and our talent and our treasure, not to be reservoirs to hold up and store up for ourselves. As this understanding takes root in our mind it should help foster the joy in our heart that makes giving easier.
Questions for Reflection:
- How do you feel about the statement that we are merely Stewarts of God’s resources?
- Who is somebody that you know that gives generously of their God given resources of time, talent and treasure? How can you emulate them?
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, Thank you for the goodness and graciousness that you provide to all your people. We thank you for the gifts that we have that allow us to work hard in your honor and to utilize our gifts to joyfully help others who are not as blessed as we are. Help our church leaders to plan, efficiently and effectively with the donations that our church receives and help the people who receive gifts from others to understand that they are the beloved child of God. Amen.
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