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The apostle Paul writes to the Corinthians of the principles that will help to establish a deeper relationship with God and could help you find a healthy and liberating balance for you and your family when deciding how much to give to the church.
Paul presents all his encouragement a speech to be generous and says the following:
Now, brothers and sisters, we want to tell you about the grace of God which has been evident in the churches of Macedonia [awakening in them a longing to contribute];
2 Corinthians 8:1.
If the believers in Macedonia were so generous, it is also because God was particularly benevolent with them, and the result of his grace was a very generous gift.
The more we grow in the awareness that God has done everything for us and that we have done nothing to merit his grace, the more we should be grateful to God and realize that everything we have comes from him.
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Paul writes about how the believers of Macedonia "in the first place gave themselves to the Lord, then, to obey the will of God, they put themselves at our disposal"
Not only [did they give materially] as we had hoped, but first they gave themselves to the Lord and to us [as His representatives] by the will of God [disregarding their personal interests and giving as much as they possibly could].
2 Corinthians 8: 5
It means that in his life, serving God in all aspects was an absolute priority, placing his relationship with Christ above all other aspects of their lives, even in financial matters. If we affirm that Christ is the Lord of our life, if we spend time with God, seeking Him to obtain wisdom, thanking Him for all we have received and worshiping Him for who He is, by virtue of what He has transformed us, we will have a different relationship.
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Paul invites the Corinthians to be generous by saying:
I do not say this to give you an order; but by giving you the example of others, I will prove the sincerity of your love.
Not [did they give materially] as we had hoped, but first they gave themselves to the Lord and to us [as His representatives] by the will of God [disregarding their personal interests and giving as much as they possibly could].
2 Corinthians 8:8.
In this way, generosity in giving becomes one of the demonstrations of Christian love as a reflection of what Christ has done for us, "who, because of you, who was rich, became poor because, through your poverty, you could become rich.
For you are recognizing [more clearly] the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [His astonishing kindness, His generosity, His gracious favor], that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich (abundantly blessed).
2 Corinthians 8: 9
If I think about how God sacrificed his son to save me, then I also remember his promise to give us everything we need and not only on a material level, if we want to follow him in everything and put him first on the list in our life.
I myself have to remember to do this reflection more often so as not to fall into unnecessary financial worries, for example the levels of inflation in my country (Venezuela). What helps me in those situations is to remember how God in the past has blessed me also Materially when he least expected it.
If you think about your experiences with God, can you recognize how in the past God has even blessed you materially, when you least expected it? Do you feel gratitude for what God has done in your life so far?
In particular, I have an infinite debt for what God has done for me.
Thanks @theonlyway for using our sacred tag!
That's the attitude! No one will ever give more than what God already gave him! And as you say, we must remember that in the current crisis!
God does not forsake his children, I am also from Venezuela; I can give testimony of the greatness of God in my life, with respect to food, sometimes in my storeroom I have only a kilogram of some food, God provides and in less than a day, I have even to offer others.
Praised be my God. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Gloria a Dios y te seguirá proveyendo princesa de Dios