Excel in the Grace of Giving
Read the Text: 2 Corinthians 8
Memorize the Text:
For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly grief produces death.
(2 Corinthians 7:10, CSB)
Consider the Text: 2 Corinthians 8:1-15
Holding discussions on money and giving often generates tense moments. The tension occurs in many areas of life, including church life. In 2 Corinthians 8, the apostle Paul challenged the church in Corinth to excel in the grace of giving like they had demonstrated many other vital Christian characteristics. The encouragement from the apostle challenges the believers to “excel,” to go over and above in the act of giving. Likewise, Paul tied the idea of grace with the concept of giving. The apostle linked this act of giving to the support of missions and the work of the Lord.
GIVE FIRST TO THE LORD
The Bible contains God’s revelation concerning the act of giving. God calls his children to be stewards of the resources they have received from Him. These resources include time, talent, and treasure. In this passage, the apostle deals directly with the idea of being a good steward of one’s treasure. As a good steward, the believer supports the work of the Lord through the management of resources that the Lord provides and supports the work of the Kingdom of God so that the work continues.
The act of giving is God’s design to support His work here on earth. God structured the Body of Christ to sustain itself by giving time, talent, and treasure. As God blesses each believer, the Christian holds the responsibility to place those resources into the work and support the work of God’s kingdom. Thus, giving first comes because of the desire to obey the Lord, fulfill the calling of the Lord, and see the Lord work through the faithfulness of His stewards.
GIVE TO THE WORK OF THE LORD
Paul identified two supports for giving to the Lord and His work. These two areas are the mission and the missionaries. God uses the faithful stewardship of His children to support the mission of reaching the world for Christ. He allows the gifts to resource the mission and support the missionaries in their work. When the local body gives and supports the work of missions and the missionaries, they come alongside the work and the worker. The mission gains needed resources, and the worker gains support. Thus, the Lord formed a way to resource both the work and the worker through the stewardship of the Body of Christ.
GIVE WITH AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
The temporary and immediate influence of the present can deter believers from giving in a proper perspective. Believers may become concerned with the lack of evidence they perceive from the gifts provided in the here and now. Paul reminded the believers in Corinth that this perspective is incorrect; instead, they need to take an eternal perspective. Such a perspective means supporting the Kingdom of God focused on reaching the lost. The desire exists to see their eternity altered by a response to Jesus. Thus, the support of missions and the missionaries comes with an eternal perspective instead of the wanted immediate fruit.
God has formed an avenue to support the work of the Kingdom of God. He calls believers to excel in the grace of giving. When a believer seeks to give in such a manner, they should seek to give to the Lord first and foremost, support the work of the Lord, and keep an eternal perspective. May believers strive to excel in the grace of giving.
This blog is part of the Coffee and Quiet Time with Jesus Devotional Series found at equippingfaith.com. Join the journey of reading through the New Testament this year. More information can be found at equippingfaith.com.
