What substance is there in our faith if we do not sacrifice for what we believe? Do you ever have that feeling that your faith is all a bit too theoretical? Maybe you believe all the ideas presented to you in the Bible, maybe you subscribe to the values, maybe you go to church and live a moral life. These are all good things, but they do not really require any investment of your life other than a couple of hours here and there for church events. From Old Testament times giving materially to the cause of the faith has been a first step toward a deeper personal investment in faith. As Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). In 2 Corinthians 8 we find Paul, as in his first letter to the Corinthians, encouraging these people to give generously to the cause of the gospel and the common good of the churches. To the cynical mind, Paul’s encouragements to give may sound like a money grabbing scheme, but this can only be imagined without any idea of the reality of the situation. The early church flourished because of the self-sacrificial nature of its members. No one got rich by people’s giving, least of all Paul himself who would not accept any money at all from his churches. Paul worked for a living so as to avoid any suspicion of wrong motives. He invested his life in God’s cause. How much are you willing to sacrifice?
Be faithful and generous in your giving.
Read 2 Corinthians 8
