HONORING THE LORD THROUGH THE MINISTRY OF GIVING


 Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi
2 Cor 8:24 NLT 
“So show them your love, and prove to all the churches that our boasting about you is justified.”
Apostle Paul in 2Corinthians. Chapter 8 was teaching the Corinthian church the connection between faith in the lord and our relationship with other believers . The church had mastered other aspect of spirituality , they could pray and fast and carry out other religious duties but lacked in giving .
     True love is demonstrated through the giving ministry . The scriptures say ' for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son ' 'God demonstrated His love for humanity true an act of giving and expects us to do likewise.
   Whatever you give carries a bit of you in it , therefore , no gift should be trivialized  . A man’s gift represents his life . God gave His live to and for humanity through the gift of His son. It is difficult to believe love is at work except there is an exchange of gifts , it is for this reason that ambassadors  come bearing gifts from their country to their host presidents . Gifts consolidate relationships and destroy selfishness.
    Many Christians miss out from the blessing of giving thus resulting in the development of an entitlement mentality which is a major reason for loss of jobs , marriage failures and poverty  among many . The entitlement mentality is the feeling that one has to be paid for every act of kindness from greeting a boss in the morning to giving directions to a stranger . Businesses have failed as a result of this due to unexpected expenditures which increased the cost of production and service delivery and indirectly the cost of products. This is a major reason behind the spike in prices of goods and services resulting in inflation.  
        The Macedonian church discovered this truth and till date the country of Macedonia remains a major tourist destination because of her age long culture of generosity .  The Macedonian church was used as a reference to how the ministry of giving glorifies the lord .  2 Cor 8:1-5 Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia.  They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will.  They BEGGED US AGAIN AND AGAIN  for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem.  They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, JUST AS GOD WANTED THEM TO DO.”
 The Christian faith is incomplete without mastering the act of giving to other believers and  messengers of God .  2 Cor 8:7 “Since you excel in so many ways—in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us—I want you to EXCEL  ALSO IN THIS GRACIOUS ACT OF GIVING  ” Giving is sacred and indispensable in our faith walk . This poor Macedonian church demonstrates that  being faced with troubles and poverty is never an excuse to deprive oneself of the benefit from this sacred act of love .
  We should seek for the Lord’s guidance in our ministry of giving to avoid being taken undue advantage of by insincere persons 2 Cor 8:13-14 " I don't mean your giving should make life easy for others and hard for yourselves. I only mean that there should be some equality. “  The reward of the ministry of giving is 2 Cor 8:23-24 they bring honor to Christ and strengthen love needed for faith for the miraculous (Gal5:6) Giving makes a person joyful and is a cure  for depression . 
Prayer : Heavenly Father forgive me of my sins against you , I believe  Jesus Christ died and was raised again for my salvation , I receive Him as lord and savior and receive grace for unlimited provisions in Jesus name I pray .Amen
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