23 Lessons God Would Teach Me About Giving from 2 Corinthians 8-9

August 14, 2006

  1. Generous giving does not come out of abundance. (2 Corinthians 8:2)
  2. Giving beyond my ability is often Biblical. (2 Corinthians 8:3)
  3. Giving is a privilege. (2 Corinthians 8:4)
  4. Faithful giving is never the first step. (2 Corinthians 8:5)
  5. Giving is an act of “grace.” (2 Corinthians 8:6)
  6. Giving is a core issue of the Christian life, and I must also excel here. (2 Corinthians 8:7)
  7. While the amount I give will not come by command…it is a test of the sincerity of my love. (2 Corinthians 8:8)
  8. My giving needs to somehow be a model of the sacrifice of Christ. (2 Corinthians 8:9)
  9. Planned giving is a process. It involves the decision and the hard work of completion. (It appears to be a year’s process for them.) (2 Corinthians 8:10-11)
  10. The gift is acceptable according to what we have, not according to what we don’t have. It doesn’t have to be the best, just our best. (2 Corinthians 8:12)
  11. Equality of sacrifice will supply the rest of the body with the plenty that is needed. The plenty others possess will someday meet our need. (2 Corinthians 8:13)
  12. How we handle the offering reflects how we honor the Lord and reflects our own eagerness to help one another. (2 Corinthians 8:19)
  13. The people of God are either encouraged or discouraged by what they see in our giving. My giving affects how others give. (2 Corinthians 8:24-9:4)
  14. A gift can be given generously or grudgingly. (2 Corinthians 9:5)
  15. I’ll reap what I sow in my giving. Sow sparingly, reap sparingly; sow generously, reap generously. (2 Corinthians 9:6)
  16. God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7)
  17. God has “choreographed” what we have so we can give. (2 Corinthians 9:8-10)
  18. God will supply and multiply what we give. (2 Corinthians 9:10)
  19. God will always make us rich enough to be generous. (2 Corinthians 9:11)
  20. Our giving will lead to greater thanksgiving flowing to God. (2 Corinthians 9:11-12)
  21. Our giving will cause others to praise God for our obedience to the gospel we profess.(2 Corinthians 9:13)
  22. Relationships are strengthened by our gift. (2 Corinthians 9:14)
  23. Our ability to give and the result of our giving is part of God’s “indescribable gift” to us. (2 Corinthians 9:15)