Let
each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests
of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being
in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made
Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the
likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and
became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Philippians 2:5-8 NKJV
Have
you ever noticed how generous parents can be towards their own children? I think we call it “spoiling” them, and I
vowed to myself when I became a parent that I would never do that. Right.
So much for good intentions. It
seems most of us simply can’t help but be generous when it comes to our own,
and I can remember occasions my wife and I denied ourselves something we wanted
very much in order to be able to do something for our children. The question for us all today though, is have
you ever really thought about exactly what Jesus gave away for His children?
A
fact that I was surprised to find is that tithing, which was an Old Testament
tax for the purpose of supporting the priesthood, is never mentioned in the New
Testament. Rather, believers are
instructed many times to have the same mind as Christ when it comes to helping
others. One of the best examples of this
teaching comes from Paul in his letter to the Corinthian church where he talks about
their giving, and the example of the generosity of the church in Macedonia. This morning I want to look briefly at what
Paul tells us, and consider a few of his thoughts on our attitudes towards
giving.
Moreover,
brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of
Macedonia: that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and
their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. For I bear
witness that according to their ability, yes, and
beyond their ability, they were freely willing,
imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the
fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And not only as we
had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the
will of God. So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also
complete this grace in you as well. 2
Corinthians 8:1-6 NKJV
Give in response to
the grace of God. What is your motive for giving? When it comes to giving, do you simply give
because you feel you must, or do you first consider all that God has given to
us by His grace, and respond with the knowledge that without His grace we would
be condemned to eternity in Hell?
But as
you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence,
and in your love for us—see that you abound in this grace also. I speak
not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the
diligence of others. 2 Corinthians
8:7-8 NKJV
Giving is not a response
to a command, but a voluntary act of love.
Not
only did I want to provide for the needs of my children, I looked for ways to
give them even more. Do you love others
in the same way and look for ways to provide for those less fortunate? As believers we should always be looking for opportunities
to give to others.
For you
know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your
sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9 NKJV
How much are you
willing to give away? I heard a story about
an usher passing the offering plate and hearing a man say that he figured he could
give ten dollars without feeling it. The
ushers’ response was why not give twenty and feel it? Have you ever been generous to the point of
feeling it? Paul is trying to tell us
our giving should have no limits.
And in
this I give advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began
and were desiring to do a year ago; but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to
desire it, so there also may be a completion out of
what you have. For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according
to what one has, and not according to what he does not have. 2 Corinthians 8:10-12 NKJV
Don’t wait for more;
rather give from what you already have. The best of
intentions usually end up being just that…intentions. It is easy to say that you want to give a certain
amount and then wait until you have it in order to give. Apparently the Corinthians were doing the
same thing, and Paul reminds them that the need is immediate, so give from what
you do have.
For I do not mean that others should
be eased and you burdened; but by an equality, that now at this time
your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack—that there
may be equality. As it is written, “He who gathered much had
nothing left over, and he who gathered little had
no lack.” 2 Corinthians 8:13-15 NKJV
It’s
never a burden to give from your abundance.
It is so easy, especially in the
world in which we live, to slowly raise our standard of living to accommodate the
generosity of the Lord in providing for us.
I believe Paul is saying that the Lord has given us more so that we in
turn can give it to those in need rather than keeping it and improving our lot.
Our
attitude towards giving should be influenced solely by the grace of God that He
has shown towards us. We can never repay
Him for all that He has given, but we can certainly have the same attitude of
generosity towards those in need.
Keep
watching.
