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by Kevin Pauley
Through the proof of this service, they will glorify God for your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with others. - 2 Corinthians 9:13 HCSB
When we take God’s good gifts and distribute them, the ripple effect is amazing. Often (not always) those whose needs are met are thankful to the Lord. Sometimes, it gets reflected on the human distributor too! God gets the glory and we get blessed! What a great system!
God has marvelous ways of bringing our mitzvah’s back around so that everyone involved is abundantly blessed. It reminds me of a story of a young woman who helped a struggling student who knocked on her door one day. She gave the hungry young man a glass of milk in the name of the Messiah. Several years later, she became critically ill and had to undergo a lengthy and expensive surgery. Oddly enough (though there are no coincidences in God’s economy), the man performing the surgery turned out to be that struggling young student. His name was Dr. Howard Kelly and he wrote on her bill “paid in full with one glass of milk.”
Sometimes when it’s the hardest to give, it’s also the most needful time to give. Systematic giving provides a continual gauge on the condition of our hearts. When we find ourselves struggling with giving, that may be a warning sign. It’s a wonderful experience to give when we feel like it. But sometimes it is needful to give when we don’t feel like it.
So what are the results of practicing generosity? First, we have the joy of full obedience. It always feels good when we are in alignment with God’s will and when we have the respect of our fellow man.
Second, we are protected from greed. Paul warned Timothy about the destructiveness of greed.[1] It’s not that God doesn’t want us to have money and things. It’s just that He doesn’t want money and things to have us.
Third, our generosity gives us an opportunity to make a difference—to impact lives in the now and to leave a godly legacy for the future. For example, when we give to God’s local church it helps build or maintain a building that will be used by people long after we are dead and gone. Those folks may or may not appreciate the sacrifices we made to provide it for them but it will be there for them to use for the God’s glory. It will be there for our children. It will be there for other people’s children.
Fourth, our generosity will open the way for God to show Himself strong in our behalf. Abraham gave and God kept increasing him.
Peter needed tax money and found it a fish’s mouth. God has all kinds of ways to meet our needs but every one will be a way to get to know the Giver better. We will learn to trust and obey Him. We get to participate in His work. And we open the door for God to give us even more.
Kevin Pauley is a pastor and writer. He lives in Illinois with his wife, Lynn, their five children and two dogs. His internet address is Berea.
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