(The following is the August 10 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read 2 Corinthians 9 and pay close attention to verses 6-15.)
When Paul encouraged the Corinthians to be generous in their gift to Jerusalem Christians, it was not merely a fund-raising initiative. He knew that one’s attitude toward giving reflects one’s heart. Christian giving demonstrates gratitude for what Christ has done for us. Paul added, “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (v. 15).
What is this gift? It is Christ, his incarnation, sacrificial death, resurrection, and the promise of eternal life to all who come to him. Believers are the beneficiaries of God’s extreme generosity.
Consider these additional verses that remind us of this gift:
- “For God so loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
- “He did not even spare his own Son but offered him up for us all” (Rom. 8:32).
- “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9).
- “Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death – even to death on a cross” (Phil. 2:5-8).
We cannot repay God for what he has done for us, but we can live generous lives of love and gratitude in response. There should be no upper limit to our giving because Christ gave everything for us.
Next Step:
How has God been generous to you? How can you be generous to others?
