Good Morning Friends,
“But just as you excel in everything -- in
faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us
-- see that you also excel in this grace of giving. I am not commanding you,
but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the
earnestness of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that
though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his
poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:7-9)
Many Christians don’t like to talk about
giving. Yet, the New Testament talks a lot about giving. There is more in the New
Testament about giving than there is about prayer and faith -- combined. God is
concerned about our giving to His Kingdom.
He’s concerned because giving is a grace.
It’s a spiritual thing. It’s an area of spiritual life that we should be growing
in, even as we grow in our attitudes and thoughts and words and actions. Giving
is another way that God demonstrates His work in our lives.
He’s concerned about giving because what we
give says a lot about our hearts. Giving is a test of the sincerity of our
love. It’s certainly not the only way that we show that we love God, but it is one
of the ways that we do. It’s a demonstration of just how important God and His
Kingdom are to us.
He’s concerned about giving because Jesus was
a great giver and our giving shows how much we are following His example and
becoming like Him. Jesus was rich beyond measure, but gave it all up to enter
the earth as a man. He exchanged His great wealth for poverty. He was the greatest
giver ever, and if we’re really becoming more like Him, we’ll become a giver,
too.
So, what does your giving say about your
spiritual life?
His, by Grace,
Steve
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