May 31: I want you to excel

Since you excel in so many ways — in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us — I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving. I am not commanding you to do this. But I am testing how genuine your love is by comparing it with the eagerness of the other churches. You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.   (2 Corinthians 8:7-9 — New Living Translation)

Paul the apostle is writing to a church that he started. God had blessed them and they excelled in many aspects, but now he tells them that they need to excel also in the gracious act of giving. When people truly love the Lord, they want to give. Jesus said, if we love Him we would obey His commandments. It is also true to say, if we love Jesus we will give to see His church grow in the world. The lost are waiting for a church to open in their city, to find a flyer on their door knob, or to come across an ad on the internet.

And all this and more depends on our giving. God wants to bless us with more money, but first we need to be faithful with what He’s already given us. The Lord Jesus Christ left the glory and riches of heaven and became poor for us. To make us rich in blessings, eternal life, and even physical wealth — Jesus first became poor.

God's people have always shown their love, thankfulness, and faithfulness by giving tithes (10%), offerings, and sacrifices. But this is something that has to come from your own heart and faith. Giving in the right way will enrich your life and the lives of others. Giving properly is a way for us to honor God and manifest our devotion to Him. God wants us to excel in giving.

Let’s be honest… we’re all eager to receive. We love it. We love receiving gifts. We love payday, and don’t so much love those days towards the end of our paycheck. We love being forgiven… But receiving gifts isn’t a test of character, whereas giving is. When we teach ourselves to give — whether it is the tithe, offerings, forgiveness, our lives, time, helping someone less fortunate than ourselves, or anything else — we prove the genuineness of our love to God. And if giving proves how authentic our love is, refusing to give proves how fake it is. If Jesus is the supreme example of giving, how can we, as His children, refuse to give? Impossible. — If you are not yet a giver, why not? What are you waiting for?