Service 05: Give Generously
Orientate
When Paul started his GoFundMe campaign for the distressed Christians in Jerusalem, the Corinthian church was one of the first to sign up. They were keen to serve others who were not as well off, and this was a great opportunity. So they pledged big bucks. But between the commitment and the collection, things shifted. Maybe there was a recession. Maybe they felt that they had got a little carried away. Maybe they had a problem with Paul as the distributor. Whatever the reason their generosity had cooled. Paul writes to them to remind them of the huge benefits of generous giving. Here is some of what he says.
Explore: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written:
“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;
their righteousness endures forever.”
10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
Journal
Journal for a few minutes on the following questions:
1. What is God saying to me? Which verse is most significant?
2. What do I want to discuss/explore further?
3. What do I need to do?
4. What does Paul say are the benefits of generous giving?
Reflect
I love chocolates so much that I occasionally treat myself to a whole box of expensive chocolates just for me. I savour each one and eat them slowly. I keep my favourite chocolates for last. I hide them from family members if necessary because I know that once they’re gone, that’s it. Some people think of money that way. You need to save and protect it because there’s a very limited supply. This sounds very responsible, but with this mindset, it’s very difficult to be generous. It’s a big challenge to give away your hard-earned cash. Someone once said that our wallet is the last thing to be converted.
Paul paints a very different picture of money for the newly-stingy Corinthians. Money is actually seed to be planted. The more you plant, the greater your crop. When you get your head around this biblical concept, it will revolutionise your approach to money. God has given us resources. We are not to see these resources as our personal reward and therefore to horde them or spend them on ourselves, but to invest them in the needs of others.
That’s when the blessings of money really begin to flow. Paul says that the recipients get blessed (9:12), God gets blessed (9:13), and the giver gets blessed (9:10, 14). He even suggests that when God sees a really generous giver, he’s likely to allocate them more resources (9:10-11). That makes sense. God loves to see his seed widely planted.
Paul is not promoting irresponsibility when it comes to our spending. That would be a poor use of the resources God entrusts to us. He’s pushing for generosity. “God loves a cheerful giver.” A Jesus follower gives generously to their church (10% is a benchmark that many use, but it depends on your circumstances), to missions, and to the disadvantaged in our world. God lets us sort out our giving personally. There are no hard and fast rules, no “compulsion” (9:7). But he has given you seed to plant and it’s going to bring great blessing to God, others and even to you. So be generous.
Pray
Forgive me Lord when I try to horde or protect the resources that you have given me. I want to be responsible of course, but you are a generous and openhanded God and everything belongs to you and comes from you. Teach me generosity. Open my heart and hand to freely sow the seed you have given me to plant.
Respond
Decide how you can be more generous with your resources. Make a commitment to do something about it right now. Don’t put it off.
