2 Cor 9 

For the month of February when we think about love, my mind went to love as it is manifested as giving.  One of the gifts of The Spirit is giving.  It took me a long time to grasp that.

Whether it is to missions, IOKDS, those in need, your own church, it is worship when you give to GOD’s work.  That too is often overlooked.  It is part of worship, just as singing and praying is worship.

 Learning about grace giving—In these verses Paul speaks to the Corinthians urging them earnestly to charity.  He had boasted of their zeal to the Macedonians, and this had provoked many of them to do as they had done.  He was persuaded, that, as they had begun well, they would go on well; and so, commending them for what they had done, he lays an obligation on them to proceed and persevere.

9:1 Your giving will cause others to give– Now concerning the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous (unnecessary as they had already begun the collection over a year ago) for me to write to you; 2 for I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal has stirred up the majority.

The follow through–3 Yet I have sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this respect, that, as I said, you may be ready; 4 lest if some Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we should be ashamed of this confident boasting.  

5 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation.

They had begun the collection, but the false teachers had changed their mind.  They wondered about the ulterior motives of giving.  We can get caught up in that.  We can become calloused by so many people asking for donations.  We are to find worthy places to support and not feel that we can give to every cause.  It is never about the money, but about the heart of giving.

The Cheerful Giver- It will bless you—–6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.                                              He skillfully uses a farm expression that all could understand.  The more seed planted.  The more plants in the field.

7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart (a predetermined act of the heart), not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.  It blesses both the giver and the gift.  Giving builds our Christian character.

Your blessings come from your investment.  Giving should be a delight.  Giving has reciprocal benefits.  GOD is blessed when we give and then we are blessed.  We should want to be involved in whatever GOD is doing.

We give and GOD multiplies it!  While we are giving, we are being blessed.  The very act is blessed.  It does not say that we will gain financially, but spiritually.  Our resources might be small, but our heart has an abundance of love.

GOD, the ultimate giver!!  GOD gives and gave out of love.  Shouldn’t we?  After all, it was through GOD’s giving that we are saved!!!                                                                                            Giving supplies the needs of the saints and glorifies GOD.  It unites the body of CHRIST. 

Think about being that cheerful giver and following that with prayer for the recipients.

Sandy Pace, IOKDS VP