Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say,
“They share freely and give generously to the poor.
Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”
For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God. As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ. And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given to you. Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words! (2 Corinthians 9:6-15, NLT)
Paul concludes his teaching on giving and generosity with a compelling section on how we should think about and use our material resources. He resists the temptation to establish a monetary standard for generous living. Rather, he addresses the attitudes of our hearts and seeks to help his readers align them with God’s values. Here is a summary of his concluding guiding principles.
- Followers of Christ should be generous, striving to meet the needs of others. (9:6)
- Followers of Christ should trust the law of the harvest, recognizing that the giver benefits as much, if not more, than the recipients. (9:6, 10)
- Followers of Christ should not give under obligation or compulsion. Their giving should be marked by cheerfulness and joy. (9:7)
- Followers of Christ should be exemplary in their trust in God to meet their personal needs, believing that He supplies his people with all that is needed to carry out his work. (9:8-9)
- Since God is the one who ultimately supplies the resources needed to meet the needs of every person, giving should be characterized by gratitude and thankfulness to the one who enables us to give. ((:11-12)
- Giving is a sign of obedience to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is imperative that we have open ears to God’s leading before we open our hands and wallets. (9:13)
- Giving brings people together, creating fellowship between groups who have different backgrounds. (9:14)
Without mistake, God is the one who enables us to be generous. As we trust his ability to meet our personal needs, we can further trust him to meet the needs of others through us. Our openness to generosity is grounded in our worldview. If our view is one of abundance and that’s God’s resources are limitless and infinite, we will clearly see the opportunities before us and how we can participate generously. But if our worldview is one of scarcity, where we believe that all resources are limited and finite, it is possible that we will never be truly generous.