Exodus 19, John 1, 2 Corinthians 9
When I was a boy my father told me, “you can’t out-give God.” At the time I didn’t understand that. However, later I was in a situation where I experienced that reality. Someone in our Sunday School class needed help covering a repair on a heat pump. My wife and I, essentially still newlyweds, had some extra money, but we had planned to use it for a trip we were wanting to take. We, along with others in our class, gave money to these friends. They were able to have their heat pump fixed. The interesting thing for us is that we got our money back plus some. It didn’t come from the friends that needed it for their heat pump. The money unexpectedly came from somewhere else, and it was more than we gave our friends, so we were still able to do the trip we planned.
In 2 Corinthians 9, the Apostle Paul is encouraging the Corinthians to support an offering for believers in Jerusalem who were in need. He says to them, “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 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. 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.” 2 Corinthians9:6–8NIV
God blesses those who use what God has given them to bless others. We can’t out-give God. God allows others to have needs so that we can learn to be cheerful givers. He could just as easily bless them without us. However, he allows us to recognize their need and to participate in caring for them with him, so we can be like him… generous. In the process we are also more abundantly blessed ourselves. That may be a financial blessing. It may be a spiritual blessing. It may be both! Either way we are blessed by cooperating with our Heavenly Father. We come to know him better and we come to love him more.
In the end, it also glorifies God our Father. As their needs are met, they praise God. As we experience the blessing of being a cheerful giver, we praise God. Together, we all experience the love and power of God in our lives and praise him. Paul says it this way, “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.” 2 Corinthians9:12NIV
This is not the prosperity gospel. This is not greedy motivation… giving so God will give us more. This is learning to be a cheerful giver, so that we, as well as those we bless, can experience the love and power of God.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for the showers of blessings that you have poured out in my life! Thank you for those around me who have blessed me with their cheerful giving! Help me to be generous like you, using your blessings to bless others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Thinking About and Being a Child of God 