As you read these verses, the words ‘thanks’ and ‘praise’ come up four times. It’s repeated over and over because our generosity leads to thanks and praise - to God and not to us.
That’s a great motivator. I’ve seen this repeated many times over. As a church grows in generosity, as the individuals grow in generosity that church can then help meet others’ needs. These people, having their needs meet, give praise and glory to God because of the help given to them by brothers and sisters in the Lord. Personally, I find it a great joy to know that others are praising God and giving thanks to Him from my service to Him. What a joy to know that the Lord is glorified by my service and my generosity.
Added to this, others will see our obedience to the Lord as we give generously and this too will lead to praise and thanks being offered up to God. Giving is not optional. Generosity is not optional. As Paul says in vs 13, it is the obedience that accompanies our confession of the gospel.
Finally, our generosity is a marker showing how much we have understood the generosity of the Lord to ourselves. As we grow in grace and understanding of what the Lord has done for us, generosity becomes easier and easier. No wonder Paul finishes this section with, ‘Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.’ God has given us everything in Jesus Christ. He has given up His one and only Son. He has poured out His wrath on Jesus rather than on you and I. God has adopted us as His children. He has given us an inheritance - the inheritance of Christ. He has poured out the Holy Spirit into our hearts and has sealed us for the day of redemption. He is leading us home towards our eternal inheritance kept in heaven for us.
God has given you and I so much. His indescribable gift is enormous and often unfathomable. He alone deserves glory, honour and praise.
Prayer:-
- Pray for our children’s ministry. Pray that Jane and team would be able to mentor our young children, grow them in the faith and ground them soundly in the Word. Pray that the children would mature and develop in the Word, growing into strong Christian ambassadors.
- Pray that our teens would grow into strong capable men and women who love the Lord with their heart and soul and mind and strength. Pray for the youth leaders who train, equip and lead them each week.
Do It Today
Spend time praising and thanking God for his generosity to us in Christ Jesus.
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