His
Indescribable Gift!
The point is this: the one who sows
sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also
reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not
reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is
able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having
enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. As it is
written, “He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures
forever.” He who supplies seed to the sower and bread
for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest
of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for your great
generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; for the
rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also
overflows with many thanksgivings to God. Through the testing of this ministry
you glorify God by your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ and
by the generosity of your sharing with them and with all others, while they
long for you and pray for you because of the surpassing grace of God that he
has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable
gift!
There are certain fields that a farmer
will sow by hand. He will take his pouch and go out and seed. When he is sowing
it looks like he is throwing the seed away, but he is not. The same is true
when we give our lives to Christ. We are those seeds and He is the sower. When we give ourselves to Christ, it may seem to
people as if we are throwing our life away. But He said that it is only as we
lose our lives in Him that we find true life. Jesus teaches us to measure our
lives by losses rather than gains, by sacrifices rather than self-preservation,
by time spent for others rather than time lavished upon ourselves, by love
poured out rather than love poured in. It is a rule of life: God blesses those
who give of their lives and resources. Give out the truth you know, and He’ll
give you more to give away. Give your time, and you’ll have more time to give.
Set no limit on your love, and you will have more love for others than before.
When you grasp, you lose; when you give to God, you gain.