Wednesday, April 4th
But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also. I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:7-9 ESV)
You ask, ‘How much should I give?’
St. Paul answers, ‘Excel in the grace of giving.’
Let Jesus be your template and example. Consider his condescension, giving up his heavenly riches for your sake. Our giving is in response to his great gift of himself. Jesus gave until it hurt. He gave sacrificially.
The context of this passage is important. Paul is asking the Corinthian Christians for a special gift for the poor in Jerusalem. This special gift implies that it is beyond their present customary tithe. This entire chapter speaks directly to the question, “How much should I give?” It answers with guiding principles rather than dollar amounts. Paul says that we ought to be like the Macedonian church. They gave according to their means, in fact beyond their means, in the face of their own hardship. They begged for the opportunity to give.
Finally, in 2 Cor 9:7 Paul says that we should give cheerfully. Don’t give out of compulsion or guilt. You will resent that kind of giving. Give what you can give, following the principles in 2 Corinthians 8. Give in response to God’s great generosity towards you in Jesus. Give as a sign of the genuineness of your love. Give joyfully.
Remember to pray today and ask the Lord what you are to give and pledge toward our new church home this Sunday.
