Have you ever thought God has given up on you? Possibly thinking He has better things to do? More talented people to use? Perhaps you think you have nothing to offer…too old, too young, too tired, too poor. You feel your past is beyond any usability.
Anytime I start thinking God is stingy, distant, apathetic, far-away, or despondent…I have to remind myself to go to God’s Word. I have to rethink how I think about God.
If this is where you are today…you are going to love 2 Cor. 8:1-9. We find the churches of Macedonia (consisting of Phillipi, Thessalonica, and Berea) giving an abundantly generous gift to the church in Corinth. What is shocking about this act of kindness is who it came from: people living in a poverty-stricken area who were undergoing persecution. They were Gentiles who decided to give to the Jewish believers living in Jerusalem. In addition, they gave because they wanted to dig deep and give sacrificially. Look how Paul describes their generosity–“begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints (v.4).”
Let me reiterate:
They were poor.
They were being persecuted.
They weren’t always accepted by the Jews.
Yet, despite these odds, they were eager to give.
At first glance, this text may not make you feel any better. You may feel your heart palpitating as you wonder “How in the world can I give?” Many of us are tempted to end the conversation right there.
But deeper we must go.
It is because of grace that we give. The grace that God bestowed upon us. The grace that we could never in a thousand years afford. The kinda grace that cost Jesus everything. The grace that ran so deep and thick and wide and high–deity becoming man. Born in a manger. Laid bare in the hay. Birthed by a virgin. Poor as a carpenter’s son.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. 2 Cor. 8:1-9
Grace is asking you to come know Him today.
Grace is enough.
Grace is abundant.
Grace is not done.
Grace believes in you.
Grace bought you for a price.
Grace gives freedom.
We give out of grace. We lay down our perception of what we ought to have and who we ought to be–and we generously give. We give what we have right now at this moment. Even if we feel empty and poor. We give…because grace always gives more.
Fill in the blank. Grace is _________________.
