Grace-Giving

“As it is written, ‘He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.'”

– 2 Corinthians 8:15

As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he made his way to the subject of Grace-giving. Grace-giving, for the Christian, is done with a heart of remembrance, remembering what God has done for us, and, as a result, we desire to do for others. But the church at Corinth had a low spiritual level, and when a church is not spiritual, it is not generous.

The scripture that Paul quoted dealt with the miracle of the manna or bread from heaven that God provided to the people in the wilderness (Ex. 16:18). No matter the amount of manna the Jews gathered each day, they always had what they needed. Those who tried to hoard it found that it would decay and rot. “The lesson is clear, gather what you need, share what you can, and don’t try to hoard God’s blessings. God will see that you will not be in need if you trust Him and obey His Word.”

Grace giving is not foolish giving, either. The Christian who shares with others must be sure that what they give is handled honestly and faithfully. And by the way, giving of your time only is not grace-giving. One commentator wrote, “We must never argue that the ministry of our spiritual gifts is a substitute for generous giving.”

Over many years, church members have been scolded, shamed, and sometimes threatened to give. Grace-giving is a matter of faith: we obey God and trust He meets our needs as we help others.

“Paul did not lay down any mathematical formula because grace giving is not limited to a tithe. Grace-giving is systematic but not legalistic. It is not satisfied with only the minimum, whatever the minimum might be.”

– Warren Wiersbe