Grace to be Generous
2 Corinthians 7:1
We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God granted to the churches of Macedonia: during a severe testing by affliction, their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed into the wealth of their generosity.”
Paul presented a picture of grace regarding the believers in the churches of Macedonia. This grace was given through a season of severe testing by affliction. It reminds me of the words to a popular song, “What if our blessings come through rain drops?” God did not grant relief or deliverance through this season of severe testing. He granted grace.
Two things flowed into the wealth of their generosity – an abundance of joy and their deep poverty. While they may have been very poor, they gave generously from their resources, and they gave it cheerfully. They were rich in generosity.
A generous person is not a greedy person. A generous person finds happiness in giving to others and by meeting needs. The generous person considers what another person needs and places those needs as a priority above her own. God granted these believers the grace to be generous in the midst of their own afflictions.
So, what does a generous person give in the midst of deep poverty? You can’t give what you don’t have. The answer is found in verse 3:
…Instead, they gave themselves especially to the Lord, then to us by God’s will.
The believers in Macedonia committed themselves to God’s plan and purpose for them and poured themselves into the lives of others. Paul told the Corinthians in verse 7 to excel in this same grace. By dying to ourselves and denying our own needs, we become a conduit of blessing to others. Through grace, God uses us to minister to others. He preaches through our actions, and others see God’s grace and His power in action.
God is not as concerned about your money as He is your mission. Generously give Him your life today. Stop worrying about the needs in your life that seem unmet. Give yourself to His service, and meet someone else’s need. Be rich in generosity. To live is Christ. Anything else is living a “less than” life.
Have a blessed day!