DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE JOY OF GIVING

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – PRINCIPLES OF GIVING

"Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God." (II Corinthians 8:1-5)

The Believers in Jerusalem were going through a tough time and were suffering hardship. Paul urged the various churches in Galatia to send aid to those fellow-believers in Jerusalem (see I Corinthians 16:1-3). The churches in Macedonia were especially helpful and gave even beyond their ability to give. Now a year had passed as it says in verse 10 and apparently they Corinthians had not followed through on their commitment. So Paul urges them to finish what they had started (vss. 6, 10-11).

In this Scripture, we gain some principles of giving.

The first step in giving is to give ourselves to the Lord (vs. 5). Any giving is fruitless unless we have first given ourselves to Jesus. When that happens, we understand that everything we have belongs to Him. So it is no great sacrifice when we give out of that kind of passionate love for Him.

Secondly, giving is not how much we have but the attitude of our heart. The Macedonians with joy gave beyond their ability to give. In fact, they gave out of their poverty.

Thirdly, God is not as interested in how much we give as He is our spirit. As verse 12 says, "For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have" (vs. 12).

The Gospel of Mark records the time when Jesus saw people giving their money into the treasury. Some were rich and gave a lot. But there was a poor widow who gave two mites (about $1.00). Jesus said that she had given more than the others because she gave out of her poverty. She gave all that she had, even the meager amount she had for living (Mark 12:41-44).

God does not need our money. But when we give – whether much or little – out of wrong motive, we deprive ourselves of the joy of giving.

The Apostle gives the great illustration of giving – that the Lord Jesus, who was rich beyond our understanding, gave it all up to become poor, so that we might become rich through His poverty (vs. 9).

What a wonderful Savior, who would give up heaven, to come to this rotten world for you and me. He did it for the joy that was before Him (Hebrews 12:2). May that be the example for our giving.

Love, Dad