The Genuineness Of Your Love

We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia; for during a severe ordeal of affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means, begging us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints – and this, not merely as we expected; they gave themselves first to the Lord, and by the will of God, to us, so that we might urge Titus that, as he had already made a beginning, so he should also complete this generous undertaking among you. Now as you excel in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you – so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.

I do not say this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love against the earnestness of others. For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.

2 Corinthians 8:1-9

The practice of tipping is commonly accepted in many countries. Has this courtesy influenced our giving to our church? Many Christians regard their financial giving as little more than a goodwill gesture to God for the service He has rendered to us. They think that as long as they have given their tithe to God, the rest is theirs to do as they please. But the Christian life is about so much more than money!

Paul used the Macedonian Christians as an illustration of what our giving should look like in the light of God’s incredible generosity toward us.

God the Creator of the universe does not need anything from us. He doesn’t want a tip. He wants us!

No matter how much you give, you can’t out give God.

Our Daily Bread – March 28, 2009