Good Stewards of His Resources
ICS Daily Devotions
2 Corinthians 9:6-10 (NKJV) But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. As it is written: “He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.” Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness,
God uses us, the body of Christ, to express His love to people inside and outside the church. Jesus has love and compassion for the lost, the sick, the little ones, and the needy, and He desires their salvation. Therefore, we can contribute to these causes and support preachers and missionaries. The gospel was given to us freely by the love of God through Jesus’ death on the cross, but the ministry of the gospel requires financial support.
The church must be well-positioned and financially sound to fulfil its calling. We are building the church of the living God, just as the Old Testament saints built the Tabernacle as a temporary place of worship. Like the Old Testament saints, New Testament believers are called to give freewill offerings for a sacred cause.
In the opening passage, the Apostle Paul was preparing the members of the church in Corinth to collect the offering they had promised to give to the church in Jerusalem to assist the poor there. The Corinthians initially reacted passionately, stirring the interest of other regional churches to contribute. However, they were slow to respond in collecting the promised offering due to disagreements between Paul and the church in Corinth. People can be easily offended and swayed by their feelings, prone to justifying their excuses and dishonouring their words. Therefore, to help us overcome, the Apostle Paul laid down these principles:
1. Be willing to give freewill offerings with joy.
2. Freewill offering is like a seed sown to the ground to produce a harvest, but there will be no harvest if no seed is sown, and how much we have sown will determine how much we will reap.
3. God will supply, multiply, and ensure we are provided abundantly, having all sufficiency to do more good works after we have proven faithful by giving freewill offerings.
4. God will be glorified through our freewill offering to the cause He has called us to sow into.
It is easier to give freewill offerings when we acknowledge that we are stewards of His resources. In addition, we must also apply faith to the truth that God will provide us with more when we are faithful and good stewards and administrators of God’s finances. We are the body of Christ, and the Holy Spirit lives in us. Therefore, He will prompt us to act on His behalf, and God will only supply and multiply to us after we have faithfully sown into the areas He has instructed us.
Sermon Series: Christian Generosity
