Devotional
For The Week of 20 August 2007
Tip
or Tribute
Scripture Text: 2
Corinthians 8: 1-9
Introduction
There
are 3 broad categories of givers in respect of tithing and giving
unto the Lord. These are:
-
The “flint” - in order to get something out of
this giver, we need to “hammer” him/ her hard.
However, all efforts spent will only result in a few flying
sparks.
-
The
“sponge” - in order to get something out of this
giver, we must “squeeze” him/ her hard. The result
of this is proportional to the amount of effort put in to
do so.
-
The
“honeycomb” - people who are like the “honeycomb”
give freely and they overflow with generosity to God. This
is how God gives to us and it is how we should give back to
Him.
The
Responsibility and Implications of Stewardship
It
is not surprising that when we fail as stewards of money and the
talents that God has given us, we experience weakness in our spiritual
life. We have learnt through many testimonies that the act of
bringing whole tithes to God’s storehouse has been a prelude
to the opening of the windows of heaven in spiritual experience.
R.B Jones of Wales once said that money, which God owns and claims,
retained in the hands of God’s people can become a potent
hindrance to spirituality.
As
stewards of the gifts and talents that God has graciously bestowed
on us, our pledges on Pledge Sunday are not about our commitment
to giving but our surrender in obedience to God’s commands.
It is ultimately a “Lordship Decision”, that is, “Is
Jesus truly, the Lord and Master of my life?” It is about
turning over the control of our money and other gifts to Christ.
Therefore, the question should not be how much money is to be
given to God but rather, how much of God’s money should
be retained for ourselves. We must remember that both money and
the power to earn it are gifts from God. These come with the responsibility
of stewardship. In truth, we are not owners but only trustees
of our possessions. At the end of our lives, we must render an
account of our stewardship of the possessions that God had placed
in our trust.
2
Corinthians 8: 1-5 documents Paul’s message to the ungenerous
Corinthian Christians on what Christian stewardship should be.
The Corinthian Christians were blessed with much – speech,
knowledge, wealth, earnestness and love for the apostles. However,
they lacked generosity in giving. Paul gave them a model of Christian
stewardship by citing the Macedonian Christians who, despite their
poverty and severe trials, were generous in their giving (verses
1 & 2). In fact, they gave beyond their ability to the point
of real sacrifice (verse 3). The Macedonian Christians gave out
of their own volition and in great earnestness for the spread
of Christianity (verses 4 & 5). Their offering of hard-earned
money was preceded by the costly surrender of their very selves
(verse 5). In other words, they started by putting aside their
old ways and changing their lives by adopting Godly principles
as the benchmark for living. The sincerity and generosity of their
giving then flowed as a natural course of these changes.
Paul reminded the Corinthian Christians of Jesus’ selfless
and sacrificial giving of himself - an excellent model that they
should emulate. Paul was greatly inspired by Jesus and His ultimate
sacrifice for our salvation (verses 8 & 9). Would we also
give, whatever we have – great or little - to the Lord with
such uncalculating abandonment?
Gifts
of Love and Devotion
When
we give, we need to check our motive for giving. If we give so
as to secure God’s blessings on our business, professional
advancement or even spiritual blessings, we give with ulterior
motives. This is not pleasing to God. However, gifts that are
given out of love for Christ are acceptable to God.
Jesus
taught His disciples this very point when he observed a poor widow
giving all she had to live on - 2 small copper coins worth a fraction
of a penny. From the lesson of the poor widow, we learn that:
-
our
Lord assesses the value of gifts by the quality of the giver’s
devotion and not by the quantity or monetary value of the
gift e.g. in the widow’s case, she had given all that
she had (out of love and devotion for the Lord) even though
its absolute value was small in the eyes of the world.
-
God’s
measuring rod is not the monetary value of the gift but the
sacrifice involved.
-
God’s
measuring rod is not the amount given but the amount remaining.
-
If
we only give what we can spare or is left behind after our
own needs, it is not considered Christian giving at all.
When
John Wesley was earning 30 pounds a year, he lived on 26 pounds
and gave 4 pounds to God. When his income doubled, he continued
to live on 26 pounds and gave 34 pounds to God. Little wonder
that God entrusted him in such abundant measure with true spiritual
riches.
Conclusion
When
we next make our pledge, let us remember the Lord’s requirement
of the tithing (10%) of our incomes. We must also take note that
tithing is not about commitment but surrender to Christ because
He is the Lord of our lives. Paul also reminds us, in 2 Corinthians
9: 6-8, of how we should give:
“Whoever
sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously
will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided
in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for
God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace
abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all
that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
Prayer
Response
Dear
God, thank you for today’s message on the right perspective
that we should have on giving unto you with a cheerful heart.
Help me to adopt Godly values and thinking as my value system.
Show me where you would like me to give in terms of my time and
money this week for the furtherance of your Kingdom. Enable me
to give with an unselfish heart and without ulterior motives.
Amen.
A
devotional based on a sermon by Rev Vincent Goh