Why It Matters //
God is the source of all we are and have; every gift and resource we own belongs to Him. And yet, it is often easy for us to attribute our wealth, achievements, and belongings to our own hard work and effort alone. Like the rest of the world, we can grow self-centered, stingy, and prideful, forgetting the One who gave it all to us in the first place.
As followers of Jesus He calls us to give generously, recognizing that He is a God of abundance, not scarcity. Our generosity reflects our trust and faith that God always provides, not just for us but for those around us. The heart of giving to God and to others is to honor God and, as Jesus teaches his disciples, to “freely give as we have freely received”. When we give, we are to give generously and cheerfully, acknowledging that we are nothing without the love and grace of God. We are able to be generous because God is first generous to us.
What It’s Talking About //
In this letter, the Apostle Paul is speaking to the Corinthinan church about an offering he is collecting to take to the church in Jerusalem. Paul is not referring to tithing here, but to offering beyond what is required- which is where generosity begins. God is calling this church (and all of us) into a kind of radical, faithful, unconditional generosity with the gifts He has given. If these believers give with joy they will not be disappointed, but will be blessed by the goodness and faithfulness of our Father in Heaven. We are, according to Paul, to give from a place of overflow in our hearts, not because we have too, but because we desire to honor God.
2 Corinthians 9:6-8 TPT
6 “Here’s my point. A stingy sower will reap a meager harvest, but the one who sows from a generous spirit will reap an abundant harvest.
7 Let giving flow from your heart, not from a sense of religious duty. Let it spring up freely from the joy of giving—all because God loves hilarious generosity!
8 Yes, God is more than ready to overwhelm you with every form of grace, so that you will have more than enough of everything—every moment and in every way. He will make you overflow with abundance in every good thing you do.”
9 Just as the Scriptures say about the one who trusts in him: Because he has sown extravagantly and given to the poor, his kindness and generous deeds will never be forgotten.
10 This generous God who supplies abundant seed for the farmer, which becomes bread for our meals, is even more extravagant toward you. First he supplies every need, plus more. Then he multiplies the seed as you sow it, so that the harvest of your generosity will grow.
11 You will be abundantly enriched in every way as you give generously on every occasion, for when we take your gifts to those in need, it causes many to give thanks to God.
12 The priestly ministry you are providing through your offering not only supplies what is lacking for God’s people, it inspires an outpouring of praises and thanksgiving to God himself.
13 For as your extremely generous offering meets the approval of those in Jerusalem, it will cause them to give glory to God—all because of your loyal support and allegiance to the gospel of Christ, as well as your generous-hearted partnership with them toward those in need.
14 Because of this extraordinary grace, which God has lavished on you, they will affectionately remember you in their prayers.
15 Praise God for his astonishing gift, which is far too great for words!