The Abundant Blessings in Giving
“God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2Cor 9:7-8)
We read in John’s Gospel of the profound generosity of our heavenly Father: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son… Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” (John 3:16,14-15) From the beginning, we are presented by generosity lessons and examples in the Garden of Eden and by the self-sacrificing Redeemer and Saviour Jesus Christ. As Paul conducts a fundraising in Macedonia and Achaia for needy believers in Jerusalem, he also amplifies the lessons about godly giving. Indeed there are abundant blessings in giving:
First, there is always greater glory after the godly ‘loss’; this is the great lesson from the risen Jesus Christ as he chatted with the men on the road to Emmaus: “Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” (Luke 24:26) Jesus gave up his comfort, privileges and life in the ultimate sacrifice, but now receives greater and eternal glory. The cross and the grave were the most unlikely source of such abundant blessing; sometimes letting go of that money or that valuable sounds like a retrogression or a downfall, yet it is the path to true healing, wholeness and vitality. The blessing goes both to the recipient and to the giver.
Secondly, giving is in actual sense sowing, and there is reaping in due course; and we are reminded that “whoever sows generously will also reap generously”. Reaping is an expression of God’s abundant blessings. It is difficult to explain in great depth how the seed combines warmth, moisture and light to activate itself into germination (that even injurs the seed itself!) It is truly a mystery that new life comes forth and the plant eventually groduces a great deal of food for the sower. If this is what will come from our generosity, then it is worth it. Many of us have reaped a lot while here on earth, and the reaping will be bigger, better and sweeter in the world to come.
Thirdly, there is the blessing of shared joy; seeing a smile on the face of a person who has been assisted is a great blessing in the family. Recently I visited a Primary school where we sponsor a few children as Yorora Ministries, and I was blown away by a song the children sang – a song composed to thank God and thank Yorora for the contribution. I knew the community was grateful, but not to this extent. Sometime life is in such little details that can potentially infuse health and wholeness into our nerves and vessels, killing stress and staleness of life. God has provided ways by which we can abound in every good work.
Continue in blessed celebration of the Resurrection! God bless you.