God Supplies So We Can Provide

The opportunity to give to others is a blessing for both the giver and the receiver. It does not matter whether the gift is money, a physical present, or something that cannot be bought.

• If you are the giver, you enjoy the satisfaction of knowing you made someone’s day brighter.
• If you are the receiver, you feel happy that someone cared enough to perform an act of kindness for you.

The Attitude of the Giver

In 2 Corinthians 9, the apostle Paul describes the attitude we should have when giving to help those in need. In every act of giving, we should strive for three key characteristics:

• Generosity: If we want a bountiful harvest, we must sow plenty of seed (verse 6). While this concept is sometimes misused by “health and wealth” teachers, the real principle is that what we get out of something depends on what we put in. Even small, inexpensive gifts carry great value if they are thoughtful and sincere.
• Purposeful: A meaningful gift is the result of preparation and planning, rather than a last-minute thought (verse 7).
• Cheerful: Giving out of obligation takes away the joy for both you and the receiver. We should never give because we feel forced or pressured (verse 7).

God Supplies So We Can Share

The ultimate reason for Christian generosity is simple: we have received so much from God (verses 8-12).

God has supplied our physical, spiritual, and emotional needs. This abundance gives us the chance to share our blessings with the people around us.

As Christians, we should view ourselves as channels. God’s blessings are meant to flow through us to others, not stop with us. This allows us to enjoy God’s gifts while also experiencing the joy of serving.

Here are four practical ways we can use God’s blessings to help others:

1. Comfort: We receive comfort from God during our own trials so that we can comfort others in theirs (2 Corinthians 1:3-7).
2. Forgiveness: God has freely forgiven us for our many offenses. Because of this grace, we must freely forgive those who wrong us (Ephesians 4:32).
3. Resources: Since God has blessed us physically, we should use our money and possessions for His glory. This includes sharing our money, but also using our homes, cars, tools, or computers to help neighbors in need.
4. Time: We must be good stewards (responsible managers) of our time. Because God gives us every moment of our lives, we should be generous in spending time with those who need us. We should avoid squandering our hours on purely selfish pursuits, which deprives others of our help.

Being the Answer to Prayer

The Bible tells us that God freely gives us all things (Romans 8:32). Because we have received freely, we must give freely in return.

Sometimes we pray, “God, please bless so-and-so.” When we pray this, we should ask ourselves how we can use our own blessings to be the answer to that very prayer.