Read 2 Corinthians 8:10–24
Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may
be matched by your completion of it.
2 Corinthians 8:11
During my years of ministry, I have endured many offering appeals. I
have listened to pathetic tales about unbelievable needs. I have forced
myself to laugh at old jokes that were supposed to make it easier for
me to part with my money. I have been scolded, shamed, and almost
threatened, and I must confess that none of these approaches has ever
stirred me to give more than I planned to give.
We must be careful here not to confuse willing with doing,
because the two must go together. If the willing is sincere and in the
will of God, then there must be a “completion of it” (2 Cor. 8:11; see
Phil. 2:12–13). Paul did not say that willing was a substitute for doing,
because it is not. But if our giving is motivated by grace, we will give
more willingly.
God sees the “heart gift” and not the “hand gift.” If the heart
wants to give more, but is unable to do so, God sees it and records it
accordingly. But if the hand gives more than the heart wants to give,
God records what is in the heart, no matter how big the offering in
the hand may be.
Something to Ponder
Think about a time you gave willingly and a time you gave grudgingly.
What made the difference?