#DailyDevotion We Give Out Of The Abundance Jesus Has Blessed Us

2 Corinthians 8:6–9, 13–15 ⁶This led us to urge Titus, as he had started it, to finish in you, too, this work of God’s kindness. ⁷As you are rich in everything, in faith, speech, knowledge, every kind of zeal, and in the love which you have toward us, we want you also to be rich in this work of God’s kindness. ⁸I’m not ordering you but testing you by the zeal of others to see how genuine your love is. ⁹You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ — He was rich, but became poor for you to make you rich by His poverty.…¹³I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness ¹⁴your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. ¹⁵As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.”

So it appears that all the Churches of Christ at the time Paul writes this were taking up a collection for the Church in Jerusalem that was suffering. It also appears the Corinthian Church was slacking off in this good work. Titus, one of Paul’s companions was led by how the Macedonian Church was giving to move the Corinthian congregation to finish the collection that they had started.

Since God love’s a cheerful giver, Paul is not wanting to command them to give but rather encourage the Christians by the faith in Christ that was already in them to do this good work. He points out them how they are rich in everything because of Jesus. In many other aspects of the Christian life they were rich and overflowing i.e. faith, speech, knowledge, zeal and in love towards the apostles. Now he commends them to be rich in generosity. Their generosity is a mark of the sincerity of their love.

Why should they or we be rich in generosity? Paul points them and us to the grace of our LORD Jesus Christ. He was rich, he dwelt with his Father in heaven ruling over creation. Everything that exist was his. Jesus humbled himself to become man and impoverished himself by his death on the cross so that you may become rich, i.e. children of God and co-heirs with him in eternal life and the kingdom of God. If Jesus has done this for you how should to be towards those for whom Jesus died?

Paul appeals to our sense of fairness. At the time the Corinthian congregation members had all they needed while their brothers in Jerusalem were lacking. It is a matter of fact God gives us more than we need for today so we will share with those who have less than us. Paul refers them and us to how God provided for the Israelites in the desert, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.” When we have an abundance of material goods and we share with those who are lacking, what those who lack material goods may supply us with is the abundance of their prayers of thanksgiving and praises to God for us. We are not going to lack what we need if we supply what others need of us. We are reminded in this verse, ¹²“If you’re eager to give, God accepts it according to what you have, not according to what you don’t have.” He is reminding us we give out of our abundance of what God has given to us not from what we don’t have so we may be a blessing to others as we have been blessed.

Heavenly Father, give us generous hearts that from the abundance you have given us, we may bless those who lack and supply your Church all that it needs to provide us with spiritual goods. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.