The Grace Of Giving

You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.

2 Corinthians 8:9

RADICAL GENEROSITY IS CONTAGIOUS. When others give sacrificially, it can inspire us to do the same, especially when they have less than we do. In 2 Corinthians 8, the apostle Paul is urging the Corinthian church to contribute to a fund-raising project for the Jerusalem church. In motivating them to give, Paul doesn’t use guilt or manipulation. He simply tells a story. He calls attention to the generosity of a tiny group of believers in Macedonia who are dirt-poor. He even mentions that he tried to persuade them to keep their money, knowing that they needed it more than those in Jerusalem. However, they considered contributing to God’s Kingdom work a privilege, even when living in extreme poverty.

What would inspire a group of people living in poverty to give beyond their ability? The answer: grace. The grace of Christ turns our understanding of the world upside down. It’s easy to think you get more by grasping, but in the Kingdom, more comes through giving. The way that God wins the hearts of sinners isn’t through guilt and fear but through generosity. In Jesus, God gives beyond our expectations. In Jesus, He broke the bank. He gave all that He had. The more we give, the more we participate in the life of God. The reason we can hold our material resources loosely is that, through Jesus, we have an endless supply of heavenly riches.

BOTTOM LINE

The motivation for giving generously, even in the midst of scarcity, is the grace of Jesus Christ. Ask Him to help you give from a generous heart.

Moment of Strength: 2 Corinthians 8:1-15