Giving

DEVOTION

2 CORINTHIANS

GIVING

2 Cor 8:10-12

10 And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. 11 Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.

NIV

It looks like they only gave once a year. Once again that could not be about tithing on a weekly basis, as we are sometimes shamed into today. But this is about taking up some special collection of funds to be sent off to help others in some other assembly of believers far off. It also is clear that the giving of each person for this collection should be in accordance with what that individual is able to give. Surely there were those in Corinth who had a greater amount of wealth then others. Some might even have been what we would call poor. It is clear this is not something which is a command, nor is it a set policy, doctrine, dogma, rule or regulation which must be followed to the letter in order to be consider a good believer. This is about being willing to give. It is not about the amount of the giving. There is not set amount nor is there a set percentage of a person’s monetary situation. It is about being willing to give whatever you can. Jesus commended the widow for giving although it was so very small, it was all she had, while others of much substance gave more, it was nothing compared to what they had. Surely this applies in our giving as well. It is expressed here that we should be willing to give and to give according to what we have. That is to say that each of us can participate in the act of giving. Even if we have very little we can still give, even if it is a little. But those of us who have a lot can give a lot. The question is of course is, what or who determines what is consider a little and what is considered a lot? How do we know we have given our appropriate share? If the Spirit moves us, and we listen to his voice, we surely would know when the times comes when to give, what to give, and who to give it too. It does appear a specific collection was made for a special purpose which was determined by those giving. They also could have been led be person in the act of collection for this purpose. That would mean it might well be appropriate for our church leaders to ask us for a special offering for a special purpose. That would be within the realm of this passage. But is also could be simply a moving of the Spirit among believers to give to others who are in need. But we must see this is about giving.