True Giving

2 Corinthians 8:5 “They gave in a way we did not expect. They first gave themselves to the Lord and then to us.”



The people of Macedonia had nothing left to give. 2 Corinthians chapter 8 tells us that these people went through times of very hard trouble. So much so that they were extremely poor and yet they begged and pleaded with Paul and his friends to allow them to give in service for God’s people. As I was searching the scriptures about giving I came across many stories about others who had nothing left to give and yet, gave more.

Do you ever feel that way? Like you have nothing left to give and yet you are being asked to give more? Sometimes it is all you can do to scrape yourself out of bed and give one more day to the world around you. Sometimes there is a spring in your step and you are happy to give because you are in a time of prosperity in your life. Other times, the poverty of not just your wallet but your spirit is a weight that ties you to the bottom of the ocean. How can you possibly give when you can’t even untie the weight? And yet, that is precisely when the biggest blessings of your life are poured out upon you. How do I know? I’ve been there. I have seen the bottom of the ocean and felt the waves crashing and truthfully I anticipate that in my days here on earth I will see the ocean floor many more times. That’s how life works. Cycles of good and plenty, cycles of famine and despair. But even in the times of famine God is harvesting for us a reward we cannot see nor comprehend.

You see, giving does not just mean we give monetarily. Giving is so much more, it is in time, talent, a listening ear, an extra hand, a hug, an offer to help. Giving comes in many shapes and sizes. The problem is, sometimes we feel as though we just have nothing left to give. Unlike the people of Macedonia, most of us, when in this state, just crawl into a corner and cry. I want to say that as a Christian I have changed my ways and step forward in certainty when at the end of my giving, that I can find more and give more but I would be telling a very big lie. I run, I hide and I cry why me, can’t I have a few more minutes, some time for me, me, me, me.

That is when I can feel the love of God ever so strongly pulling me out of my comfort zone. He gently prods me and says, just a little more, the rewards are great, you wait and see. And so, I give, not because it’s easy but because it’s right. The people of Macedonia figured that out. The widow in Mark 12 figured it out. She gave all she had, all she had to live on and was used as a true example of a cheerful giver by Jesus. Most importantly as we come to the weekend in which we celebrate out Lord’s resurrection we remember the ultimate Giver. Not only did Christ give His life for each of us but God gave His only Son so that we could be called sons and daughters of the Most High God.

Kelly Minter, in her study on Ruth talks about giving in times of wealth and in times of poverty. Are you at a place of wealth in your life? Giving seems easy then. But when you are at a place of poverty Kelly says it is then “at a place when I am broken, depressed, and depleted, that God wants me to give even more. We all have something to give, even when we are broke or broken.” When Christ hung, broken and bleeding on the cross he could have screamed in agony and groaned in pain. That is not what He did. Laying aside his pain He asked his Father to forgive us. When he had nothing left to give he gave more, the ultimate example of giving.

Today, if you are experiencing a time when it seems you just have nothing left to give or a time of wealth when giving comes easy take a minute to thank the true Giver of life. The One who gave All so that we could have more, our blessed Savior, Christ Jesus.