Don’t be Discouraged. Give Cheerfully.
Today’s devotional is based upon Paul’s writings,
Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have. 2 Corinthians 8:12 (NLT)
Paul, who was an Apostle of Jesus Christ planted a church in Corinth in the year of A.D. 52. Corinth was a city that was located at the crossroads of the Roman empire. It was known for it’s wealth, resources, and culture. It was also the home to temple of Aphrodite, the sex goddess. Corinth was the roadway to goods and trade that would eventually make their way to Rome. It’s important for us to get a picture of what this city was like. In some way it sounds like the culture of today. We are rich in resources, trade, and commerce. We, like the Corinthians, understand what it means to have resources. The type of culture that the Corinthians lived in helps us to understand what Paul was writing in 2 Corinthians 8:12.
Guillermo "G" Castellanos is the Youth Pastor of Legendary Youth, a ministry of Covenant Church Texoma located at 4100 N. Travis, Sherman, Texas.
When Paul planted the church he noticed that they were very eager to give of themselves and their resources to God and the expansion of the Gospel. However, Paul noticed that they began to have a difficult time fulfilling their promise. As Paul began to examine the reason of their hesitation to complete what they started he realized that it was due to discouragement. The Corinthian church was trying to “catch up with the Jones’”. They started to look at the size of their gift in comparison with those around them and thought, “Our gift is insignificant and it really doesn’t matter”. Paul says to them, “The gift is acceptable not because of it’s size or based on what one does not have, but according to what one has.”
Just like the Corinthian church we can get ourselves snagged in this trap. God is not looking for us to give according to our neighbor or the person on the end of the pew but according to what we have. This is true for all areas our lives. We all have a measure talent, time and treasure. God is not looking or asking us for more that what he has given us.
Take a couple of minutes and examine what you have. Have you discouraged yourself from giving to God because you have compared yourself to others? Make it a point to give of your time, talent and treasure based on your resources.
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