Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I commanded the assemblies of Galatia, you do likewise. 2 On the first day of every week, let each one of you save as he may prosper, that no collections are made when I come. 3 When I arrive, I will send whoever you approve with letters to carry your gracious gift to Jerusalem. 4 If it is appropriate for me to go also, they will go with me.

Charitable giving is at the core of a well-lived Christian life. We don’t give to get. We don’t give because we have to. We give because we can. Everyone is given enough by God to share some of their time, talents, and treasures with others. People who are not givers in some way tend to be self-focused. They do not understand a crucial aspect of being part of the family of God. In this passage, Paul explains the concept of giving and generosity to the Corinthian church. He tells them that giving should be systematic. He recommended that they give on the “first day of the week”. That’s when they gathered. He tells them that giving should be proportional. They were collecting a gift for less fortunate brothers and sisters in Jerusalem. Don’t “tip” God. Whether you have little or a lot, all believers should give as “he or she prospers”. Don’t spend all of your time, talents, and treasures on yourself. 

When my wife and I got married, we had little in material terms. We had a couple of bicycles and a couple of guitars, but we gave regularly from what we had. We made a point not to spend it all on ourselves. She would often prepare a chicken stew or something for our lunch on Sundays. She’d leave it cooking in a crock pot when we left, and she always threw in a couple of extra pieces so we could invite someone home for lunch. That’s charity! That’s giving! We didn’t give out of our abundance; we gave out of what we had. God honors that kind of giving. He loves a generous heart. Don’t wait until you “have enough” to start being generous. With that heart attitude, you’ll never have enough.

Years ago, I was in Guatemala drilling water wells for a Christian organization called Living Water International. A friend of mine, whom I knew from business, invited me to get involved. We were both making and selling drilling tools for the water well industry. While I was drilling this well in the middle of Guatemala, a man would come up to me on a bicycle each day. He would bring me a banana, mango, or an avocado at different times of the day, during the week that I was there drilling. One day, I asked him, “Where do you live?” He pointed over at a group of palm trees, and he said, “I live right over there under those trees.” I didn’t think I had heard him correctly. I asked him again, and he clarified that he didn’t have a normal house with a roof and walls, but he lived over there under a couple of palm trees. This generous soul always had a smile and was always eager to help with the work of God that was going on around him. I have never forgotten him. If that man could give his “widow’s mite”, we each can give likewise “for God loves a cheerful giver.”(2 Corinthians 9:7)