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MODEL EXAMPLES OF GIVING (II)
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22
2 Corinthians 8:1-7
Romans 12:8
 
“Their deep poverty abounded unto
the riches of their liberality.”
 
MODEL EXAMPLES OF GIVING (II)
 
Concerning the attitude and extent of the Macedonians’ giving, Paul recorded that “beyond their power they were willing of themselves” (2 Cor 8:3). Some health-and-wealth gospel churches teach that Christians must “give till it hurts” in order to receive the rich blessings of the Lord. This is a twisting of the good teaching in this passage of Scripture. Paul was not asking Christians to give beyond what they were able. Rather Paul was pointing to the willingness of the Macedonians to consecrate everything that they had unto the Lord including their money. If they were given more in their hands, they would have also put these resources to good use for the Lord’s glory. Thus, 2 Corinthians 8:3 is a wonderful testimony of what it means to exercise good stewardship in the Lord.
 
The liberality of the Macedonian Christians ought to provoke the Corinthian Christians to do likewise. The Corinthian Christians were far more well-off economically compared to the Macedonians. However, they were so distracted by their internal problems that they had forgotten their duty to help the needy brethren.
 
Herein is a warning to us that when worldliness creeps into our lives and we stray from the Lord, our giving to the Lord’s work will also be affected. Moreover, this “giving” ought to be viewed as a “returning” because all that we have belongs to God. Is not God the owner of the cattle on a thousand hills (Ps 50:10)? We are but stewards of the resources that are placed in our hands. However, when we are rich, there is a tendency to forget that it is the Lord who has granted us power to get wealth (Deut 8:17). “But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth …” (Deut 8:18a).
 
When we truly surrender all to the Lord, we will find that the Lord will grant us grace to consider others before ourselves. We will then be able to give with simplicity, as commanded by the Lord (Rom 12:8).
 
THOUGHT: How can I give joyfully with simplicity?
PRAYER: Father, teach me to abound in giving.

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