Getting to the heart of giving
by Jo Corney
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And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us (2 Corinthians 8:5).
Who and what comes to mind when you think of generosity? As I think about my experiences of it, in varied life spaces, my heart is humbled and grateful to have experienced humanity in this way. In the church, I have felt profoundly blessed by the generosity of others, as I’ve witnessed their care and action towards the vulnerable among us. This has been from people with different gifts, life spaces and resources – sometimes people who themselves are up against it in tough circumstances. It has not always been about money but of time, talent and many other resources.
Regardless of the circumstances, what I see as common to these givers has been their attitude of heart. I am aware of the mirror that giving has held to my own heart, not in guilt, but in inspiration.
In this chapter, Paul tells the story of the Macedonian churches that had hardships and were poor. But his recount of them was that despite this, they were incredibly generous. Paul noted, ‘They gave themselves first of all to the Lord.’ Have you encountered Christians like them?
As I ponder the hearts behind the giving of the Macedonian churches, I sense their lives were beautifully infected by Christ’s love for them and their subsequent experience of his grace and their deep faith. It became who they were. They responded to others from this through their good works, not because they relied on these to earn God’s favour and have a relationship with him, but because of this relationship with God and their experience of his grace in faith.
I have found it is part of our human experience to feel stretched and perhaps small and inadequate sometimes. May we be encouraged by the story of the Macedonian churches, which reminds us that God looks at our hearts and his value for us is not reliant on our resources.
May I encourage you, fellow Christian, in your journey of faith by these words of Paul about the Macedonian churches: ‘They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.’ May you be blessed by those who give themselves first to the Lord and know the blessing you can be to others by doing the same.
Every blessing to you.
Lord Jesus, thank you for the example of fellow believers from past times who gave themselves first to you, and the encouragement that this has been through the ages. Please help us to be mindful of this in our own faith journeys. Please help us serve endlessly bathed in your grace and immersed in your love. Amen.
Jo is a wife and mum who serves in various roles in her local Lutheran church and also in chaplaincy as the assistant director of Chaplaincy and Ministry Development for Lutheran Services.
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