November 18

Abounding In This Grace Also

For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have. — 2 Cor 8:12 BSB

If St. Paul were alive today, he would surely be in great demand to preach sermons for raising funds to support religious and charitable work. Based on this chapter, he must have been exceptional at encouraging generosity from God’s people. He stirs up the Corinthians by reminding them of the generosity of the Macedonian churches, even though they were in deep poverty. He tells them that just as they excel in many gifts and graces, they must also excel in this grace of giving (2 Corinthians 8:7). He points to the example of our Lord, reminding them that they owe everything to His humility. He suggests that God desires a willing heart, and that He accepts the poor man’s desire to give as much as He accepts the wealthy man’s large donations (Mark 12:41-44).

What a powerful verse is 2 Corinthians 8:9! In one of his poems, George Herbert pictures our Lord stripping Himself of His glory as He descended from His throne to the manger in Bethlehem. He laid aside His tiara, and its jewels became the stars of the Milky Way; He set down His scepter, and it became the lightning flash; He removed His royal robe, and it became the sunset clouds. Yet more wonderful still is the thought that the Lord of Glory became so poor that He had nowhere to lay His head and was often without food, dependent on the charity of others.

Because He was poor, we are made rich; because He was homeless, He has opened the doors of the “many mansions” to us; because He was stripped of all, we may wear the white robes and sit with Him in heavenly places. He calls us to minister to Him by caring for the least of His brethren. We can only truly help others when we give sacrificially, but in the end, we are not left in want. God is in no one’s debt. What we hold onto, we lose; what we give becomes like seed, returning to us in an abundant harvest. Lay your heart against the heart of Christ until you are filled with His love and spirit, and are content to consider nothing your own. Be a steward of everything you possess for His glory and the good of others.

Prayer

O God, we have nothing worth giving or worth Your receiving; even our best was given to us by You. Graciously accept us and all we have. May we see everything we possess as a stewardship for others. Amen.