Steven A. Bush - October 13, 2024
Giving that Greatly Glorifies God
In 2 Corinthians 9:7-8 Paul talks about giving and what our hearts should be like in doing so: "Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work." (ESV) Giving must flow from willing hearts, not as a result of twisted arms. When giving flows from a heart that trusts in the Ultimate Giver, the results reverberate in the here and now but also serve as deposits in heaven. When we realize that everything we have comes from God anyway, then we begin to realize that whatever we give is never really lost; it's merely sown. While we don't exactly know what that harvest will look like, it'll certainly surpass the seeds themselves. The results of this increasing awareness is our hands become less tight-fisted and more prone to opening wide. In Chapters 8 & 9 of 2 Corinthians, as Paul lays out such truths, He also reminds us of the Gospel which should be the foundation for all our giving. In 2 Corinthians 8:9 he writes: "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 by His poverty might become rich." (ESV) And Paul echoes again in 2 Corinthians 9:15: Thanks be to God for His inexpressible Gift!" (ESV)
Scripture References: 2 Corinthians 8:1-24, 2 Corinthians 9:1-15