Merry Christmas everybody!! This is an exhortation to participate in the grace of giving. We are reminded that the gifted are not always the most generous. The list of gifts and virtues outlined here is impressive. We might think all was well, but then the matter of offering for the poor in Jerusalem comes to the fore. The subject of finances often sheds a revealing light on the state of a church. All seems well until the workers’ salaries and the support of missionary enterprise are investigated. The grace of giving is often seen at its best in those least likely to give. “Rich generosity,” then and now, is the mark of those who give out of their poverty and do so “even beyond their ability.” More than money is involved. It is a reflection of a spiritual life characterized by commitment to the Lord, his work and his workers - “they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will” (verse 5). The grace to give is available. God is able to make it abound in us. The great Giver loves cheerful givers, and we will be such when we see giving not as a duty to be accepted but as grace to be received. (2 Cor. 9:7-8).
Posted on: Thu, 25 Dec 2014 13:24:34 +0000
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