DAY 10 - READ 2 CORINTHIANS 8:1-11
Over the years, many from our congregation have participated in mission trips to the Villages of Hope in Zambia. This ministry provides housing, food, clothing, education, and vocational training to orphaned children who have lost both parents to the ravages of AIDS. Every time a team returns, we always hear the same thing: “I couldn’t believe how joyful the children were! They have nothing and have suffered so much loss, but I’ve never seen such joy-filled people in my entire life!” In 2 Corinthians 8:2, Paul states, “During a severe trial brought about by affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.” In verse 5 we see, “They gave themselves first to the Lord, and, by the will of God, then to us.” From these passages, and from the children at the Villages of Hope, we learn a fundamental principle: Joy rarely comes from great abundance and lack of trials. Instead, great joy comes from faith rooted in Christ and through serving others in their need. These are our spiritual riches! As verse 9 goes on to say, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: Though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” We could write a mathematical equation, or recipe, for 2 Corinthians 8:2 like this: Trials + Affliction + Poverty + Great Joy = Generosity
But how can this be? This goes against everything we are taught by the world. This isn’t exactly the American dream. Let’s think about this another way. Have you ever seen a child who has been given everything, is never told no, and never receives any discipline?
Shouldn’t a child like this be the happiest person in the world? Yet the exact opposite is true. These are some of the most miserable, joyless children you’ve ever met. And, you certainly don’t want to be around them!
Getting back to 2 Corinthians 8, Paul challenges us to rediscover our source of joy and the privilege of giving to the work of the Lord. Rather than wait for abundance and lack of trials to get involved in kingdom work, let’s do as the Macedonian church who “gave themselves first to the Lord, and by the will of God, then to us.” A stewardship decision is first and foremost a faith commitment, not a financial calculation. It’s a commitment to serve together in God’s kingdom through the ministries of the local church. They gave themselves first to the Lord. That is the place to begin a stewardship decision.
ACTION ITEM
Instead of rushing to the calculator or the budget, answer these questions: What is the source of joy in my life? How do my trials and afflictions draw me near or away from God? Am I giving myself to the Lord first and then serving others whenever possible? How can I give myself more fully to God in order to build His church?