God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it, “He throws caution to the winds, giving to the needy in reckless abandon. His right-living, right-giving ways never run out, never wear out.” This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God. 2 Corinthians 9:8-11 MSG
Of course the church talks about giving because it is the way God set for us to provide financial resources to work in this world. The church works best when we do that. But there’s an even bigger and more vital reason that the church must talk about money and giving. Teaching and comfort in discussing giving is vital because Jesus said it is more blessed to give than to receive. In a variety of situations Jesus showed us that cooperating with God in His mission in the world is the greatest and most direct path to personal growth, fulfillment, and intimacy with God. The church must teach on this to be faithful to US and what WE need.
Just in these verses, we see what happens when we get involved in God’s program. When we give, we will have all we need (v. 8). When we prioritize the things that are important to God, He takes care of the rest. God always makes sure we have enough to live on when we give to further His Kingdom. It seems counter-intuitive to give away more and still somehow have enough, but it’s how God works. If you feel like you don’t have enough to live on, it may not be an income problem but a giving problem. When we give, we will bless others (v. 8). People are what is important to God. Giving through the church always impacts people for good. Giving as we are able will equip us to be increasingly generous (vv. 9-11). It’s a basic principle of stewardship: When we are faithful with a little bit, God will trust us with more. It’s the way He works. Generosity causes God to invest more in us because He knows we will continue to be generous. It’s a cycle of God blessing so we can give more that goes on and on and on and on. When we give, the people we help will be thankful and be drawn to Jesus (vv. 11-13). It’s incredible to be part of making a difference in someone’s life, especially an eternal difference. Whether the giving helps someone learn about Jesus or feeds hungry kids around the world, they will be thankful. Your testimony is strong because you are shining HIS light. Your giving is directly tied to your testimony and the testimony of the church in this murky world.
- The church must talk about money because we have the huge responsibility of sharing His love, mercy, and grace with the world. It’s the way WE experience even more of the grace He provides for our lives. It is SO blessed to give!