A Cheerful Recipient of God’s Abundance
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2 Corinthians 9:6-15
6. The point is this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7. Each one must do as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work. 9. As it is written, "He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures for ever." 10. He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your resources and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11. You will be enriched in every way for great generosity, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God; 12. for the rendering of this service not only supplies the wants of the saints but also overflows in many thanksgivings to God. 13. Under the test of this service, you will glorify God by your obedience in acknowledging the gospel of Christ, and by the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others; 14. while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God in you. 15. Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!
God’s love is so extravagant that it overflows and runs over into the world! His love cannot be contained or confined! And in response to that generous, bountiful, overflowing abundance, our love for others also overflows! We just can’t help it. We are so very blessed; so deeply loved; so full of God’s grace, that we can’t help but be extravagant in our giving! Not just financial giving, but giving our love, our comfort, sharing our abundance, distributing our resources in tangible, meaningful ways. It’s just too much to be contained!
One of the side benefits of our generosity – and, really, the only reason we should give generously, is to bring glory to God. Through sharing our resources, our love, our talents, abilities, and knowledge of the redeeming grace of God, we are able to promote thanksgiving to God. If we testify to the fact that our wealth originates from God’s plan, the recipients of our gifts understand that since God is the source, they are in turn expected to give generously – in accordance to their own ability.
God has a perfectly conceived plan for every one of us to be abundantly provided for! He gives seed to the farmer, who sells it the baker, who makes bread for our nourishment. And that example can be expanded thousands of times over to illustrate how God has planned out the most intricate weaving together of our lives. He’s got it all figured out—always has! The trick is to “tap into” the mind of God, so that we can do what He intends us to do—and do it without holding back anything in reserve! After all, he gave us his own son! How can we even think about being stingy in light of that sacrifice?
Another message in these verses is one of encouragement and hope. We don’t need to worry about what we have, or what we might lose, or what we might never acquire. God is going to make sure that we have enough—either through our own resources, or through the generosity of others. Just like the farmer and the baker, he places us in the lives of those who need what we have to offer. Likewise, he places “helpers” in our lives, too. He sends us guides and mentors, friends and teachers, brothers and sisters in Christ. In other words, we lack for nothing!
Beyond that, we are to accept our situation in life for what it is—part of God’s plan. We have all we need. Is it all we want? Maybe not. But is it what we need? Probably. If it’s not, then maybe we need to look around and see what’s going on in our lives. Are we in tune with God’s plan for us? Are we doing what we need to do for ourselves? For others? Included in my spiritual gifts are generosity and servanthood. I don’t have a lot of money, but I try to be generous with my genuine care and concern for the people in my life. I give of myself, and my spiritual gifts, because I have love in abundance! What I lack in financial resources, God has more than made up for in not only my capacity to share love and comfort with others, but in the love and comfort I receive from others!
My challenge is to accept that the abundance God has poured over into my life, is what I need! It’s what he has determined is necessary for me to do what glorifies him. I don’t know about you, but in the big scheme of things, I feel pretty blessed that God has hand-picked the blessings he bestows upon me!
I hope today you cheerfully accept God’s blessings in your life. And that you are able to generously pour out blessings upon others.
Mary
