Giving – What Does It Mean For You?

Australia – the lucky country – or is it a blessed country? Most of us certainly lead comfortable lifestyles with the latest in materialistic possessions such as houses, motor vehicles, electronic equipment, holidays etc. and we generally have plenty of fine and different food to eat.

Sure, there are people in Australia and in our own congregation that perhaps don’t have sufficient shelter, clothing and food to lead a comfortable life, and we support many welfare charities such as Lutheran Community Care to assist these people.

But are we generous enough?

In 2 Corinthians 8 vs 1-9, Paul addresses the issue of Christian generosity in the context of a collection he was raising among the Gentile churches for poor Jewish Christians in Jerusalem.

It is never easy to talk about money or giving, even among Christians. All of us still battle with a selfish – even greedy – human nature. Our “hip pocket nerve” may be one of the first to relax when we go on holidays, but it is one of the hardest to bring under the Lordship of Christ. How do you feel, when the church makes an appeal for funds? Paul makes the following points about the gift of giving:

1. Instead of commending the Macedonian churches for their generous giving, he acknowledges what God’s grace has accomplished. Generosity itself is a gift from God. The willingness and ability to give is, in itself, an act of God’s grace.
2. As a paradox, we seem to be less generous when times are good. The people of Macedonia were severely tested by the troubles they went through, but their joy was so great that they were extremely generous in their giving, even though they were poor. What motivation do you need to give? Do you need to experience a tragedy or trouble in your life or someone else’s, before you recognise God’s grace to you?
3. The Macedonian people gave as much as they could, and even more than they could. Of their own free will they begged and pleaded for the priviledge of having a part of helping God’s people in Judea.
4. In order to give their possessions to other people, the Macedonians had to give themselves to the Lord first. The gift of generosity is placed along side other gifts of God’s grace that the Holy Spirit gives or prompts in a believer’s heart – faith, speech, knowledge, sincerity and love. Christians are encouraged to excel also in the “gift of giving”.

Let us pray that the Holy Spirit works in our hearts to give ourselves completely to the Lord first, so that we might be granted the gift of giving in everything that we do.

Prepared by Mel Zerner