2 Corinthians 6 – 8
Verse 6:1 opens with a tough comment:
As for those of us working as His emissaries, we beg you not to take the grace of God lightly.
“Do not take the grace of God lightly” is a bold statement and something I think we all tend to do from time to time. Think about our past and what we have been forgiven of and what God puts up with. I know I have been all over the board in life and still am considered a loose cannon at times. I hope I amuse God more than annoy Him, and that’s why His grace is something we should never take lightly.
Now in verse 6:4 we see words like “great endurance” and “persevere even in anguish and hardship” and think burden. Yet this morning at Men’s Step Up we studied Matthew 11:28-30 where Jesus says words like “My yoke is easy and My burden is light”. So what is it? Are we going to have an easy life or a hard one? Jesus did not say it was going to be easy, but rather the main tool used by a beast of burden is the yoke and it will be easy. Meaning we can get through the hard life with faith in Jesus … basically what Paul is saying!!
Verse 8:3 really demonstrates giving as God desires:
I watched as they willingly gave what they could afford and then went beyond to give even more.
They were not giving from abundance, but through poverty and in excess from that. Verse 2 shows that God blessed this act with abundance. Now this is not to be a give to get message, but rather if we give with a pure heart God will many times bless us beyond what we could imagine. I just finished a Robert Morris book, The Blessed Life, which went into giving. He is a great example of one with the gift of giving. He once tried to out give God and gave two cars, his home and all the cash they had only to get a jet given to them. God is always greater than we can imagine.
Verses 8:13 & 14 is on the same thread:
13-14 The objective is not to go under so others will have some relief; the objective is to use this opportunity today to supply their needs out of your abundance. One day it may be the other way around, and they will need to supply your needs from what they have. That’s equality.
See God does not want you to hurt giving, but understand that you will be cared for. Think about it this is the ONLY thing that He dares us to test Him on!! The reason God talks about money so much is that is really shows your heart. If you think it is yours it will be yours, if you know it is God’s you know he will change things for the better in your time of need.