A Gift for God

2 Corinthians 8:9, 3-4

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The Bible passage for our devotion today is taken from Second Corinthians Chapter eight. And then we hear verse nine. St Paul says,

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that through his poverty you might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)

Number of years ago, I had a college student send me a letter about a month after college had finished that semester, and he was back home, but he sent a letter with a $200 check in it, and it was for our congregation. And he wrote this note.

I always felt bad that I didn’t give much when I was in school. Thank you for being my church home while I was in college.

And that was his way of showing his gratitude for what our church did as far as his faith life. I was pretty impressed by that, that somebody that young should send a check. Only a month after he had started working to show his gratefulness to God and to God’s church for helping him with his faith.

When it comes to issues of charity and giving or stewardship. Sometimes those are difficult subjects for us to address, and it shows that there’s something about our money that is pretty personal to us. And sometimes it’s kind of hard for us to think about giving to other people. It’s interesting that the first story in the Bible after the Fall into Sin in Genesis Chapter four, touches on stewardship, touches on giving. And we’re told that Cain and Abel each brought a gift to God. But it says God did not respect Cain’s offering. Now, why was that? Well, it was because what was going on and Cain’s heart really was not true faith. And Cain was bringing his gift to God sort of for the wrong reason.

Imagine a ninth grade babysitter who gives 20% of her $20 that she makes for babysitting, and she gives 20% of that as a gift to God out of thanks to God. And then imagine a millionaire in that same church, let’s say, who gives hundreds of thousands of dollars and yet is giving it with the hope that he will get recognized by people. So people will see what a great person he is. God would rather have that small amount from the baby sitter. If my gifts are being brought to God out of force or obligation, or to impress him or to impress somebody, or to try to influence him in some way, God would tell us to keep those gifts. He doesn’t want them. He doesn’t need them.

God’s primary concern when it comes to stewardship. And our giving has to do with our heart. What’s the condition of our hearts? He doesn’t care so much about what the gift is, but why we’re giving the gift. God would have us connect everything in our day to day lives back to our Savior in the work that he’s done for us. The context of the Bible passage I read to you earlier is that Paul is writing to a group of churches in Macedonia about giving and about their stewardship

According to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gifts [that they gave]. (2 Corinthians 8:3-4)

It’s interesting that in the Bible, God doesn’t want to force or pressure gifts out of us. He does it in a completely different way. He showers us with his grace. He showers us with his love. He pours his blessings down on us. He gives us what Jesus Christ has done for us. He lets us know about having our sins being entirely forgiven and the fact that heaven is a free gift for us. He sort of wins our generosity by his greater generosity and love for us. And so may God’s grace warm our hearts that our generosity toward other people or toward his church is something that flows out of the tremendous generosity that God has shown us through the work of his Son, the very one who has paid for our entrance into everlasting life in heaven. Amen.