Wednesday 21 Jun 2023

June 21: 2 Corinthians 9:6-9

Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 9:7
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Devotion:
Some of the expenses we face in life do seem to be unfair on the surface until you look into what those expenses go toward. Some of them seem like bargains until you dig a bit deeper to find out they fall short of the mark. There are always going to be people who try to get as much money as possible from you whilst doing a little as possible and others who do all they can for you and don’t seem to charge enough...

But as these words here remind us, it is not the how much or how often which matters but the sentiment behind the giving. God does not look at the bottom line and compare that with what He gives you in life; He looks at your heart and sees how much you are willing to give without complaint!

Whenever I read this part of scripture I am also reminded of the time when Jesus talked about giving what was due to Caesar and what was due to God. We should not mix these two up because the earthly laws and taxes do not have anything to do with what you give to God. Yes we do have to pay to maintain church buildings and meeting places, the supply of amenities, insurance and things like that, but they are necessary expenses for the world we live in. What you do and give to support others in the name of Christ is quite different.

We are fortunate enough to be able to run a ‘top-up shop’ in our church building which enables people to get the essentials for little or no cost so they can survive in this mixed-up financial crisis many are in. The people who run the shop give freely of their time and money to come and make sure others are catered for in the name of Christ. It’s not about the amount but about the love behind what we are doing!

Points to Ponder:
Do you keep strict records of what you give?

Are you willing to give what it takes?