The Church in America—me included—has a big problem with giving. Tithing I mean. I’ve talked about it before. The church in America, percentage wise, gives less than almost any other nation.
In 2 Corinthians 8, Paul writes to the Corinthian people about the generous giving of the Macedonian church. Out of their “severe test of affliction” and “extreme poverty”, they “overflowed in a wealth of generosity” (v.2).
Paul writes to the church at Corinth (a comparatively wealthy group), stirring them up to generosity using the abundant giving of the Macedonians to shame them.
What Paul writes just a few verses later I found interesting. 2 Corinthians 8:3-6:
“They gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints—and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.”
It would seem, taken the larger context, that Paul is saying that the Macedonians, although they were severely afflicted and extremely impoverished, sought to support the saints financially out of the overflow of their joy they had in the Lord. In “giving themselves first to the Lord”.
Although it may not be a direct correlation here, there’s clearly a principle worth observing. The Corinthians were true Christians, yet they needed stirring up in order to give of themselves financially. The Macedonians were also true Christians, but the Macedonians gave themselves to the Lord and as they did that were spurred on to give themselves to the Apostles—financially.
I’ve always struggled with the Church’s use of money. I’ve struggled with the church asking for money, given it usually seems squandered. But scripture makes clear that all we have belongs to the Lord and when we give, we simply give to God what is God’s—something we’re taught to do to exercise faith.
For a number of reasons, both common and uncommon, I find giving financially to be especially difficult. As I do it, It’s often not all that joyful, but more as my own disciplinarian (which is not altogether bad either).
But, It shouldn’t be this way for me, or for you.
Following the principle here, perhaps we should seek to prayerfully give ourselves to the Lord in new ways as the Macedonians did. Possibly embracing our own unique experience of affliction. Hopefully in that, the Lord will cause us to then give ourselves financially as well—which will inevitably lead to our Good and God’s glory.
