Day 11: That we would give joyously and generously
We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. (2 Corinthians 8:1-2 ESV)
Imagine you and I have invented a new ice cream and set about with a lofty goal of getting this ice cream into the hands of every single person in the world. To do such a thing is going to require a self-sacrificing conformity to this shared vision. That’s what the Bible calls koinonia. Now what if I told you that I’m all in on this venture but I wasn’t willing to give up my Mt. Dew addiction in order to get more ice cream to the nations? You’d call my bluff and realize I’m not very serious about getting our new ice cream into the hands of every person.
The same goes for missions. The churches of Macedonia were “all-in” and Paul commended them for it. They joyously gave even in the midst of extreme poverty because they believed the gospel was more precious than anything else. Let us pray today that churches would carry the torch and get the gospel to every person. That’ll take sacrifice. And it will take joyous generosity. Only God is big enough to conquer Mammon. May this lesser god topple.
Father, you are very good to us. You have given to us more than we could ever dare hope for. We confess that at times we have a death grip on the resources and gifts that you’ve given to us. Help us to view our possessions with a kingdom-minded perspective. Rescue us from the luster of Mammon and enamor us with the great cause of global missions. Help our the folks in our church to give joyously and generously. And help our church use the giving faithfully for your kingdom.
