1It is indeed unnecessary for me to write to you concerning the service to the saints, 2for I know your readiness, of which I boast on your behalf to those of Macedonia, that Achaia has been prepared for the past year. Your zeal has stirred up very many of them. 3But I have sent the brothers so that our boasting on your behalf may not be in vain in this respect, that, just as I said, you may be prepared, 4lest by any means, if anyone from Macedonia comes there with me and finds you unprepared, we (to say nothing of you) would be disappointed in this confident boasting. 5I thought it necessary therefore to entreat the brothers that they would go before to you and arrange ahead of time the generous gift that you promised before, that the same might be ready as a matter of generosity, and not of greediness.
6Remember this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7Let each man give according as he has determined in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that you, always having all sufficiency in everything, may abound to every good work. 9As it is written,
“He has scattered abroad. He has given to the poor.
His righteousness remains forever.”
10Now may he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the fruits of your righteousness, 11you being enriched in everything for all generosity, which produces thanksgiving to God through us. 12For this service of giving that you perform not only makes up for lack among the saints, but abounds also through much giving of thanks to God, 13seeing that through the proof given by this service, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the Good News of Christ and for the generosity of your contribution to them and to all, 14while they themselves also, with supplication on your behalf, yearn for you by reason of the exceeding grace of God in you. 15Now thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift!
Living Under a Palm Tree
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 much, 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 of not spending 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.
Man on a Bicycle Carrying Fruit
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 avocado at different times of the day during the week 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 eager to help with the work of God 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)