2 Corinthians 8 and 9 • Trusting God’s Purposes for His Provision

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What is your concept of generosity? Do you let your needs dominate your thoughts? Are you more likely to share what you have regardless how much or be stingy and protective of your resources? Your answers to those questions reveals how much you are living as a God-dependent woman. This is post #8 in the God-Dependent Woman blog series. In the last post, we looked at how to purify yourself from contamination. In this article, we will let 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 teach us how we can trust God’s purposes for His provision to us.

Think Differently about God’s Provision

The words that Paul wrote regarding God’s provision in 2 Corinthians chapters 8 and 9 are absolutely some of the most mind-blowing verses in the Bible. Since financial provision—having enough of it or not enough of it—is a constant in our earthly lives as humans, it is appropriate that Paul spent so much time on this subject. Jesus, whom Paul followed so devotedly, talked a lot about money as well.

We are quick to depend on God when we are physically suffering and need healing. We are likely to have a heart of dependence on God when we are sharing the gospel with others. But when it comes to our money, we usually keep control of that ourselves even while we say we depend on God. This is just as true when we have plenty as when we have too little. Although, when we have too little, we usually spend more time worrying about it than trusting God with what He has already given to us.

At the end of Matthew chapter 6, Jesus told His followers, “Don’t let your needs dominate your thoughts.” Those words are from a sermon in which Jesus described a stark contrast between what the world does, even good people in the world, and what the lives of His followers should look like.

Regarding God’s provision, Jesus basically said Christians should think differently. Don’t let your needs dominate your thoughts. Your heavenly Father knows them. He cares for the creatures in the natural world so they lack nothing. He will care for you. Give yourself to the Lord first. Pursue what matters to God—His honor and His purposes—more than your own. That’s what it looks like to live as Christ regarding money. God’s provision to us is not only for our needs but also for us to use to advance His purposes as we are ambassadors for Him. Let us see what that looks like.

Read Two Widows • 4 Lessons to Learn about God’s Provision for additional perspective regarding God’s provision to you.

Trusting God’s Purposes for His Provision

Overflowing joy in extreme poverty

In 2 Corinthians chapter 8, Paul writes about the offering being collected for the Christians in Jerusalem who were suffering terrible hardship. Paul referenced the Macedonian Christians in northern Greece who had collected money for this cause. Let us see what Paul says about them.

Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will. (2 Corinthians 8:2-5 NIV)

Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. Extreme poverty giving generously. Oh, my! That is so radical, going so against human nature. But the key to their actions is in verse 5.

Give yourself to God first

I like how The Message translation puts it.

What explains it was that they had first given themselves unreservedly to God and to us. The other giving simply flowed out of the purposes of God working in their lives. (2 Corinthians 8:5 The Message)

They focused on giving themselves to God first and then gave to support the purposes of God, especially helping others in need. Their giving imitated God’s generosity and compassion.

Compassion requires trusting God, not having plenty. This is totally opposite of the world’s thinking, isn’t it? There is a fine line between good stewardship of the provisions God’s given today and not trusting God enough to be able to share it. The Macedonians were trusting God while sharing their meager provisions to help others. How you handle whatever provision God gives you is very telling.

Act on your intentions

And here is my judgment 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. Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have. (2 Corinthians 8:10-12)

The Corinthians had a desire to help the famine-stricken Jewish believers back in Israel. Now they needed to be intentional to act on that desire. It did not matter how much. Planning and setting aside money ahead of time would help them to be ready for the collection. Good intentions are meaningless unless they are followed by intentional actions.

Recognize the Sharing Principle

Sharing is voluntary

Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.” (2 Corinthians 8:13-15)

This is voluntary sharing of your (God-given) provisions with another believer who has less than what they need for daily life. It is motivated by love for God and love for fellow believers who need help. It also involves trusting the messenger who informs you about the need.

The word Paul used that is translated “equality” comes from a root word that means “likeness.” I like that. We are brothers and sisters in a large family with a responsibility to care for each other. That may require some learning to live without something so we have more to give.

Sharing is good for us

This sharing principle is good for the body of Christ. It helps us overcome our self-centeredness and self-indulgence. It also helps us overcome any harsh attitude we may have toward those who are struggling financially. And we gain benefit from it in several ways as seen in 2 Corinthians 8:1-8:

• Verses 1-5—sharing inspires connection with other members of the Body of Christ (individuals and churches).
• Verse 4—sharing is a privilege and service to the Lord’s people.
• Verse 8—sharing is a test of the sincerity of our love for God and His people.

I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. (2 Corinthians 8:8)

Paul viewed Christians as brothers and sisters in a large family. Do you? Your concept of a family may be skewed by your own experience with family members that bicker with one another and even hate one another. Yet the Bible teaches that as members of the “family” of those who belong to Christ, we have a responsibility to care for each other. Sharing financially is part of that responsibility.

Trusting God with His Provision to You

Giving reveals your trust in God

Giving is a part of a Christian’s faith walk with God.

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.” Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. (2 Corinthians 9:7-11)

Paul wrote that God is “able to bless you abundantly.” That word “bless” is from the Greek word charis, meaning grace. Most translations say that God is able to make all grace overflow or abound to you. It refers to His lovingkindness and favor given to you, which may include material provision but is not guaranteeing financial abundance.

While undergoing severe trials, afflictions, and extreme poverty, overflowing joy yielded rich generosity. What counts as “rich generosity?” R. G. LeTourneau, who created the first massive earth-moving machines, would often quote this little poem,

It is not what you’d do with a million, if riches should ever be your lot. But what you are doing at present with the dollar and a quarter you’ve got. (R. G. LeTourneau)

It is what you do with what you have. God’s riches to us are supplied through us to meet another’s needs. Giving reveals your trust in God.

Giving allows God to increase your harvest

Resources could be talents, skills, and opportunity to provide income for bread and the sharing in a harvest of good works as a result.

12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:12-15)

Look at the benefits of giving generously:

• Verse 12—Overflowing thanks to God for supplying the needs of the Lord’s people
• Verse 13—Praise to God because of your obedience to Christ in sharing with others
• Verse 14—Others will pray for you and see God’s surpassing grace in your life
• Verse 15—We thank God for His gift of Christ to us—an indescribable, awesome gift!

God gives to us. We give to others. Needs are met. Thanks is given. The gospel is proven to be true. God gets praised. Unity and love increases in the church community and body of Christ as a whole. Sounds like a win/win.

God is the first giver; He first selflessly gives Himself to us in the person of His Son, and all true Christian giving is our response of gratitude for this gift that is beyond description. See also 1 John 4:9-11. (NIV Study Bible, note on v. 15, p. 1773)

The dynamic difference of God’s grace

Those early Christians are an amazing example to all believers including you and me of the dynamic difference that God’s grace can make in the mindset of His people when it comes to provision. They gave themselves first to the Lord. Gratefully receiving and generously giving comes from the overflowing joy of knowing Jesus Christ and what He’s doing in our lives. Whether you are the receiver or the giver, how you do both should be different than what the world does.

So, how do you determine where to give your money? Give yourself to God first. Then, look for His purposes to support. Start with the family of God. Then, whatever needs He leads you to meet.

Dear friends, trust that God’s provision is being supplied to you for His purposes.

Is God depending on Christians?

That is the subject of our saying to evaluate in this post, “God is not depending on any government; God is depending on Christians.” True or false?

Wow! Nothing like putting yourself on a higher level than God so that He becomes dependent on you! Really?! Or setting yourself up with a huge load of guilt because you can’t meet all the needs of those around you.

Does God work through Christians to meet the needs of people? Yes. Is God depending on people to do His work? No. He gives us opportunity and the desire and the provision to share. We are to trust God’s purposes for His provision to us.

Reasons why God wants us to depend on Him more than on ourselves

From 2 Corinthians chapters 8 and 9, here are some reasons why God wants us to depend on Him more than on ourselves:

• He initiates the grace of giving. (8:1)
• We need Him to direct our giving according to His will. (8:5)
• He makes us spiritually rich so we can give. (8:9)
• He puts into our hearts concerns for us to have. (8:16)
• We are His representatives who honor Christ so can be trusted with money handling. (8:23)
• God blesses us so we can give to others. (9:8)
• God enlarges the harvest of our generosity and good works. (9:10)
• God gives through us to meet the needs of His people. (9:12)

In the next post, we will see how grasping truth protects you from enemy captivity.

Let Jesus satisfy your heart with confidence that you can depend on Him. Then, live each day as a God-dependent woman!

All the above information is covered in The God-Dependent Woman Bible Study of 2 Corinthians.

AI was not used to generate this post.