The Everyday Prayer

Re:Verse passage – Genesis 1:26–31, Romans 8:18–22 (day two)

God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. 31 a

When I was in graduate school, our conducting cohort often interacted with different disciplines within the school of music. There was a composition major who was interested in hearing his music performed. He handed the score to our professor and promptly told him “this isn’t my best work.” My professor handed it back to him and said, “when you do your best work, let me know and we will sing it.” There was a time and place for trying out new techniques and arrangements, but the top choral ensemble with limited rehearsal time, wasn’t it.

God didn’t experiment. What we see around us, from the mountains to the valleys, wasn’t a trial run at creation. It was perfect. He made everything, exactly as he desired. When he stopped, he looked and said it was very good. If creation speaks of its creator (Romans 1:20), then it needs to do it well. If God poured himself into his creation to testify to his goodness, then we ought to steward well this gift so that our children can enjoy and give glory to the maker of all things.

Re:Verse passage – 2 Corinthians 8:1–9, 2 Corinthians 9:6–11 (day seven)

 Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Cor 9:7

Giving is not a unique belief to Christianity. Most major religions have an aspect of charity that is similar to our tithing. Truth be told, our recommended giving of 10% would be on the upper end of what most religions would ask for. What makes the Christian tithe different from other charity? What makes Christianity unique from other religions as a whole?

God is Love.

Most religions command giving. They make their charity obligatory and compulsive to the point that you might not go to heaven if you don’t give as commanded. Read through the Bible, including the passage today, your tithe is not salvific or redemptive. Tithing is an overflow of a relationship with the One who gave us everything. As we learn that He is Love, we will be eager to give back a portion of what He has given to us. As we experience He is Love, we will be joyful as we trust Him to provide for us in all ways. As we embody that He is love, we will be excited to contribute to the Kingdom’s work so that others might learn that He is Love.

Re:Verse passage – 2 Corinthians 8:1–9, 2 Corinthians 9:6–11 (day six).

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9

When Paul points the church toward generosity, he doesn’t begin with obligation. He begins with Jesus. Christ’s self-giving life is not only the means of our salvation; it is the restoration of our humanity.

We were created as image bearers, made to reflect a God whose very nature is self-giving love. Sin distorted that image, turning us inward on ourselves. But in Jesus, we see humanity healed. He gives, not reluctantly, but freely. And in doing so, he shows us what it means to truly live.

Generosity, then, is not a loss of life but its fulfillment. To give is not to become less human, but more. When we live generously, with our resources, our time, and our presence, we participate in the life of Christ himself.

Being generous is what it means to be human.

Re:Verse passage – 2 Corinthians 8:1–9, 2 Corinthians 9:6–11 (day five).
Did you notice that in both of our Re:Verse passages this week that the Gospel is either mentioned or described. Paul wants to teach/tell these believers that there is in fact, a deep and meaningful connection between generous financial giving and the gospel. The Gospel is to be not only understood and received, but in chapter 9 Paul points out that believers should “obey” the Gospel. We obey the gospel through loving actions of sacrifice and service. And generosity expressed through giving, as Paul points out in chapters 8, is also a beautiful picture of the Gospel- Jesus giving up His riches in heaven in order for us to become rich. So, when we give, we obey and portray the greatest generosity ever known!!

Re:Verse passage – 2 Corinthians 8:1–9, 2 Corinthians 9:6–11 (day four)

When we think about our spiritual growth, certain things come to mind: growing in our faith and trust in God, growing in our knowledge of Scripture and doctrine, developing our spiritual gifts, growing in love for our neighbors and spending more time serving others. All of these are great indicators of spiritual growth, which Paul acknowledges are happening among the Corinthians. He adds another indicator of spiritual growth to this list, though: generosity in finances.

When we think about spiritual growth, finances aren’t usually the first thing to come to mind, but Paul reminds us that the way we steward our money and the way we give to others is very much a reflection of our spiritual life. It’s easy to think of our finances as a separate category, but our life is one integrated whole, of which Jesus demands the entirety. Just as we are to grow in prayer, service, and wisdom, we are to grow in generosity. When we truly understand Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, the ultimate form of generosity, then we will reflect that generosity in every part of our lives, just as the Macedonian Christians model for us here.

We would never say “alright, I now have exactly enough faith,” or “I have enough knowledge of Scripture, I don’t need anymore.” We want to grow in those things more and more for the rest of our lives. In the same way, may we grow in generosity, allowing the Lord to show us more and more ways to give and steward our money according to his purposes.

Re:Verse passage – 2 Corinthians 8:1–9, 2 Corinthians 9:6–11 (day three)

⁵and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.

In verse five, Paul reminds his readers that before the people of the Macedonian churches gave anything, they first submitted to God and to His will. If they did not start there, I am sure that their giving might not have been so noteworthy or commendable. They first submitted to the Lord and to the work of the Church, allowing God to use them fully for His glory.

The Lord points out here through Paul’s letter that He does not care about the size of what we give. He cares about the attitude of our heart when we give. The churches in Macedonia were commended as an example of how God’s grace abounds and makes up for human limitations that arise (2 Corinthians 12:9). The churches gave faithfully despite their circumstances, and God blessed them with abundant joy.

In trusting and relying on God, the Macedonian churches also allowed for God to provide for them in such a way that they could give beyond their ability. I am by no means a math genius, but I do know that, typically, finances/resources in usually must be greater than finances/resources out. God’s math does not work that way! When we fully trust and rely on God with our finances and resources, it makes room for God to be glorified even more through His provision and work in us.

Now, here’s the tough question for us: where is your heart on giving to the Lord? Have you submitted fully to Him or does a part of you hold back?

Re:Verse passage – 2 Corinthians 8:1–9, 2 Corinthians 9:6–11 (day two)
…that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. 8:2

We have difficulty prioritizing what is truly important in our society. Faith, for many years now, has been seen almost as a luxury or even a crutch. We often hear the argument that we will come to the church when we have more time, or when we have more need for things like faith. It is the same when it comes to our finances. We will give when we get a bit more ahead, or when the next raise comes, or when we get some debt paid off. You know as well as I do that something will always come along to fill in whatever “extra” is given. Paul is celebrating those believers who have rightly prioritized their giving as a privilege, as an opportunity, as a joy. The Lord has been faithful to you in uncountable ways. Paul’s reminder is that it is not an amount that God is looking for, it is an attitude of worship.