Joyful Living Devotional - Day 39
Day 39 - To Give or Not to Give
Philippians 4:15-18 (NLT) 15 As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. 16 Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once. 17 I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness. 18 At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God.
Paul expresses deep gratitude for the support he received from the Philippian church. He is very specific in his gratitude, making an incredible statement not only about the Philippians but also about other churches. He writes: “You Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help… No other church did this” (Phillipians 4:15 NLT). What a statement made by one of the most influential leaders of all time. It is hard to fathom that Paul the Apostle, who wrote so much of the New Testament, had so few who would financially support him. Paul is not bemoaning this lack of support because he just told them that his trust is in Christ and that he has learned contentment in all things. But he knows what happens when people are generous in the way of Christ.
In this letter of gratitude, we see two distinct truths. Some people understand the power of a generous life, and others don’t. For those who do, their gifts refresh others and honor the Lord. Let’s look at those who don’t and ask why so few supported Paul, since he says, “No other church did this.” We find some clues in his letters to the church in Corinth.
1 Corinthians 9:3-7 (NLT) 3 This is my answer to those who question my authority. 4 Don’t we have the right to live in your homes and share your meals? 5 Don’t we have the right to bring a believing wife with us as the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers do, and as Peter does? 6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have to work to support ourselves? 7 What soldier has to pay his own expenses? What farmer plants a vineyard and doesn’t have the right to eat some of its fruit? What shepherd cares for a flock of sheep and isn’t allowed to drink some of the milk?
Paul is addressing a challenge to his apostolic authority in the church at Corinth. We also see this in his second letter to the Corinthians, where he discusses the so-called super-apostles who were preaching a different Jesus. He admonishes the Corinthians for putting up with this nonsense: “You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed” (2 Corinthians 11:4 NLT). Despite the false apostles’ claim that Paul is inferior to them, he makes it clear that his labor among them was not for personal gain but for the privilege of preaching Christ to them. Even if it meant working to support himself while he was with them, he willingly did so for their sake, not because he couldn’t claim his rights as an apostle, but simply because he did not want to be a stumbling block to them.
1 Corinthians 9:11-12 (NLT) 11 Since we have planted spiritual seed among you, aren’t we entitled to a harvest of physical food and drink? 12 If you support others who preach to you, shouldn’t we have an even greater right to be supported? But we have never used this right. We would rather put up with anything than be an obstacle to the Good News about Christ.
Paul is willing to forgo his right to be supported by the people he preaches to, in this instance, because of their immaturity. He would rather take the support he received from other churches to continue his ministry in Corinth than take anything from them.
2 Corinthians 11:7-11 (NLT) 7 Was I wrong when I humbled myself and honored you by preaching God’s Good News to you without expecting anything in return? 8 I “robbed” other churches by accepting their contributions so I could serve you at no cost. 9 And when I was with you and didn’t have enough to live on, I did not become a financial burden to anyone. For the brothers who came from Macedonia brought me all that I needed. I have never been a burden to you, and I never will be. 10 As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, no one in all of Greece will ever stop me from boasting about this. 11 Why? Because I don’t love you? God knows that I do.
We can see why Paul has such affection for the Philippians and how they have supported him throughout his ministry. He used some of the support sent by the Macedonian churches, of which the Philippians were a part, to plant the church in Corinth. He remained in Corinth for almost two years and, during that time, even worked as a tentmaker with Aquila and Priscilla to support himself rather than asking the Corinthians for support.
Acts 18:1-3 (NLT) 1 Then Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There he became acquainted with a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. They had left Italy when Claudius Caesar deported all Jews from Rome. 3 Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers just as he was.
The Corinthian church lacked spiritual maturity, not opportunity. They did not lack ability, which Paul addresses in chapter 9 of 1 Corinthians: “If you support others who preach to you, shouldn’t we have an even greater right to be supported?” (1 Corinthians 9:12a NLT). The church in Corinth was a mixture of rich and poor. Paul even addressed this issue in their gatherings and at the Lord’s Supper: “21 For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk. 22 What? Don’t you have your own homes for eating and drinking? Or do you really want to disgrace God’s church and shame the poor?” (1 Corinthians 11:21-22a NLT).
The Corinthians lacked generosity, not because they lacked opportunity or ability, but because they lacked spiritual maturity.
This makes his statement to the Philippians even more powerful: “15 You Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. 16 Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once” (Philippians 4:15-16 NLT). The Philippians represent the second group: those who give generously despite what they might be facing. This is something we must not miss: the Book of Philippians is known as the letter of joy. We know Paul wrote this letter and emphasized the joy of the Lord. Joy and rejoicing are mentioned eighteen times. This letter is in response to the church's generosity in Philippi. We cannot separate joy and generosity. The Corinthians lacked generosity because they lacked spiritual maturity. The Philippian church overflowed in generosity because they understood that God loves a cheerful giver. Yes, I know that was written to the Corinthians, but the context of that verse is Paul using the Macedonian churches as examples of joy and generosity.
2 Corinthians 8:1-5 (NLT) 1 Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. 2 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. 3 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. 4 They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. 5 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.
No wonder Paul writes that the Philippians’ gift supplied his needs and is also a sweet-smelling sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to the Lord. The Philippians did not give because they were rich, nor because they had wonderful circumstances or could afford to give. Their joy was in Christ despite what they were going through, and that joy in Jesus overflowed into rich generosity. Joyful people are generous, and generous people are joyful. Joy and generosity are inseparable.
“As base a thing as money often is, yet it can be transmuted into everlasting treasure. It can be converted into food for the hungry and clothing for the poor. It can keep a missionary actively winning lost men to the light of the gospel and thus transmute itself into heavenly values. Any temporal possession can be turned into everlasting wealth. Whatever is given to Christ is immediately touched with immortality.”
– A.W. Tozer
Which group are you in? Are you like the Corinthians, who lacked maturity and therefore generosity, or like the Philippians, who, despite circumstances not conducive to generosity, had abundant joy that led to great generosity, met others’ needs, and blessed the Father’s heart! One group struggles to be generous, while the other overflows with generosity. One group does not meet anyone else’s needs, while the other takes every opportunity to meet others’ needs. To the church in Corinth, Paul writes a letter of correction, addressing division and even unheard-of sin, to the point that he has to hand someone over for the destruction of the body so that their soul can be saved. Yet to the Philippians, he writes with tender love, compassion, and great joy!
Both are loved! Yet one group lacks the maturity to be generous and therefore misses out on the great joy that accompanies generosity. The other makes their love active and gives beyond their ability, producing even greater joy. What is the difference? The difference is that the generous group gave themselves to the Lord first and to others. When you belong to the Lord, giving and sharing is your banner, not getting and keeping.
“If a person gets his attitude toward money straight, it will help straighten out almost every other area in his life.”
– Billy Graham
To give or not to give? It all depends on who you belong to.
Prayer:
Philippians 4:15-18 (NLT) 15 As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. 16 Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once. 17 I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness. 18 At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God.
Paul expresses deep gratitude for the support he received from the Philippian church. He is very specific in his gratitude, making an incredible statement not only about the Philippians but also about other churches. He writes: “You Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help… No other church did this” (Phillipians 4:15 NLT). What a statement made by one of the most influential leaders of all time. It is hard to fathom that Paul the Apostle, who wrote so much of the New Testament, had so few who would financially support him. Paul is not bemoaning this lack of support because he just told them that his trust is in Christ and that he has learned contentment in all things. But he knows what happens when people are generous in the way of Christ.
In this letter of gratitude, we see two distinct truths. Some people understand the power of a generous life, and others don’t. For those who do, their gifts refresh others and honor the Lord. Let’s look at those who don’t and ask why so few supported Paul, since he says, “No other church did this.” We find some clues in his letters to the church in Corinth.
1 Corinthians 9:3-7 (NLT) 3 This is my answer to those who question my authority. 4 Don’t we have the right to live in your homes and share your meals? 5 Don’t we have the right to bring a believing wife with us as the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers do, and as Peter does? 6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have to work to support ourselves? 7 What soldier has to pay his own expenses? What farmer plants a vineyard and doesn’t have the right to eat some of its fruit? What shepherd cares for a flock of sheep and isn’t allowed to drink some of the milk?
Paul is addressing a challenge to his apostolic authority in the church at Corinth. We also see this in his second letter to the Corinthians, where he discusses the so-called super-apostles who were preaching a different Jesus. He admonishes the Corinthians for putting up with this nonsense: “You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed” (2 Corinthians 11:4 NLT). Despite the false apostles’ claim that Paul is inferior to them, he makes it clear that his labor among them was not for personal gain but for the privilege of preaching Christ to them. Even if it meant working to support himself while he was with them, he willingly did so for their sake, not because he couldn’t claim his rights as an apostle, but simply because he did not want to be a stumbling block to them.
1 Corinthians 9:11-12 (NLT) 11 Since we have planted spiritual seed among you, aren’t we entitled to a harvest of physical food and drink? 12 If you support others who preach to you, shouldn’t we have an even greater right to be supported? But we have never used this right. We would rather put up with anything than be an obstacle to the Good News about Christ.
Paul is willing to forgo his right to be supported by the people he preaches to, in this instance, because of their immaturity. He would rather take the support he received from other churches to continue his ministry in Corinth than take anything from them.
2 Corinthians 11:7-11 (NLT) 7 Was I wrong when I humbled myself and honored you by preaching God’s Good News to you without expecting anything in return? 8 I “robbed” other churches by accepting their contributions so I could serve you at no cost. 9 And when I was with you and didn’t have enough to live on, I did not become a financial burden to anyone. For the brothers who came from Macedonia brought me all that I needed. I have never been a burden to you, and I never will be. 10 As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, no one in all of Greece will ever stop me from boasting about this. 11 Why? Because I don’t love you? God knows that I do.
We can see why Paul has such affection for the Philippians and how they have supported him throughout his ministry. He used some of the support sent by the Macedonian churches, of which the Philippians were a part, to plant the church in Corinth. He remained in Corinth for almost two years and, during that time, even worked as a tentmaker with Aquila and Priscilla to support himself rather than asking the Corinthians for support.
Acts 18:1-3 (NLT) 1 Then Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There he became acquainted with a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. They had left Italy when Claudius Caesar deported all Jews from Rome. 3 Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers just as he was.
The Corinthian church lacked spiritual maturity, not opportunity. They did not lack ability, which Paul addresses in chapter 9 of 1 Corinthians: “If you support others who preach to you, shouldn’t we have an even greater right to be supported?” (1 Corinthians 9:12a NLT). The church in Corinth was a mixture of rich and poor. Paul even addressed this issue in their gatherings and at the Lord’s Supper: “21 For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk. 22 What? Don’t you have your own homes for eating and drinking? Or do you really want to disgrace God’s church and shame the poor?” (1 Corinthians 11:21-22a NLT).
The Corinthians lacked generosity, not because they lacked opportunity or ability, but because they lacked spiritual maturity.
This makes his statement to the Philippians even more powerful: “15 You Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. 16 Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once” (Philippians 4:15-16 NLT). The Philippians represent the second group: those who give generously despite what they might be facing. This is something we must not miss: the Book of Philippians is known as the letter of joy. We know Paul wrote this letter and emphasized the joy of the Lord. Joy and rejoicing are mentioned eighteen times. This letter is in response to the church's generosity in Philippi. We cannot separate joy and generosity. The Corinthians lacked generosity because they lacked spiritual maturity. The Philippian church overflowed in generosity because they understood that God loves a cheerful giver. Yes, I know that was written to the Corinthians, but the context of that verse is Paul using the Macedonian churches as examples of joy and generosity.
2 Corinthians 8:1-5 (NLT) 1 Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. 2 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. 3 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. 4 They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. 5 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.
No wonder Paul writes that the Philippians’ gift supplied his needs and is also a sweet-smelling sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to the Lord. The Philippians did not give because they were rich, nor because they had wonderful circumstances or could afford to give. Their joy was in Christ despite what they were going through, and that joy in Jesus overflowed into rich generosity. Joyful people are generous, and generous people are joyful. Joy and generosity are inseparable.
“As base a thing as money often is, yet it can be transmuted into everlasting treasure. It can be converted into food for the hungry and clothing for the poor. It can keep a missionary actively winning lost men to the light of the gospel and thus transmute itself into heavenly values. Any temporal possession can be turned into everlasting wealth. Whatever is given to Christ is immediately touched with immortality.”
– A.W. Tozer
Which group are you in? Are you like the Corinthians, who lacked maturity and therefore generosity, or like the Philippians, who, despite circumstances not conducive to generosity, had abundant joy that led to great generosity, met others’ needs, and blessed the Father’s heart! One group struggles to be generous, while the other overflows with generosity. One group does not meet anyone else’s needs, while the other takes every opportunity to meet others’ needs. To the church in Corinth, Paul writes a letter of correction, addressing division and even unheard-of sin, to the point that he has to hand someone over for the destruction of the body so that their soul can be saved. Yet to the Philippians, he writes with tender love, compassion, and great joy!
Both are loved! Yet one group lacks the maturity to be generous and therefore misses out on the great joy that accompanies generosity. The other makes their love active and gives beyond their ability, producing even greater joy. What is the difference? The difference is that the generous group gave themselves to the Lord first and to others. When you belong to the Lord, giving and sharing is your banner, not getting and keeping.
“If a person gets his attitude toward money straight, it will help straighten out almost every other area in his life.”
– Billy Graham
To give or not to give? It all depends on who you belong to.
Prayer:
- Pray for a heart of generosity and service. Ask for forgiveness for where you lacked generosity and made excuses for not serving.
- Ask the Lord to help you be the answer to someone else’s prayer by responding to a need, so He might be glorified.
- Pray for a spirit of generosity to be unleashed at The Rock and for us to be known for our generosity and service.
- Don’t just pray about generosity; become generous. Pray for an increase in the resources you receive, but start where you are, not where you hope to be. Remember, if you cannot be trusted with little, you won’t be trusted with more.
Posted in Joyful Living Devotional