6 My point is this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each one of you should give just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, because God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace overflow to you so that because you have enough of everything in every way at all times, you will overflow in every good work. 9 Just as it is written, “He has scattered widely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness remains forever.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Rebecca Shead

Recently I read the Barefoot Investor, a popular Australian book about managing your money. The author says you should divide your money into three different “buckets.” The goal is to build your wealth so you can have a comfortable standard of living now, and enough saved for a comfortable retirement. It sounds sensible, and he practically guarantees that you will never have to worry about money again if you follow his formula. The thing I noticed was that his plan didn’t include a “bucket” for giving. He did say that when kids are learning to manage money they should be encouraged to give. But once you’re an adult with bills or a mortgage, giving is not part of the equation.

However, the Bible gives us a completely different perspective. As we’ve seen over the last week, Paul is encouraging the Corinthians to give generously to the poor Christians in Jerusalem. Today, we read that “God loves a cheerful giver”, and that if we sow generously we will also reap generously.

It's easy to be afraid, to listen to the world’s wisdom and feel like we have to cling onto what we have in order to have financial security for our future. But instead, we should remember that God has blessed us with so much! We have everything we need – v8 says “you have enough of everything in every way at all times”.

God himself is our example. He is so generous towards us, and this is why we can be generous towards others. In verse 8, God’s grace to us is overflowing, and this will lead to us overflowing in good works – including giving generously to Christian brothers and sisters who are in need.

So instead of pouring my money into “buckets” for myself, I should be sowing generously and sharing God’s material blessings with others in need. It’s helpful to work out how much money I really need to live on, and then work out how to be generous with the rest. Verse 7 says “each one of you should give just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion”. I find that I’m more generous if I make a plan for giving and stick to it. Otherwise I don’t follow through with my good intentions.

If I sow generously, with joy and thankfulness, I will reap the benefits. Not in my bank balance, but in being a blessing to others and growing in godliness. And as we’ll see tomorrow, this will bring glory to God. This kind of investing gives the best returns!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rebecca is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.