What Are You Thankful For? 2 Corinthinans 9

Thanksgiving 2020

Today is thanksgiving a day to give thanks for as we say in our family prayer at dinner, "family, food and friends".  Specifically in this country, we give thanks for the first pilgrims who journeyed across the ocean to the place we now call the United States of America.  Of the 100 who came over, only 50 made it through the harsh first winter, which was much more difficult than they ever imagined. They sacrificed their lives for the freedom we now enjoy.

Paul talks about a similar type of thanksgiving about another sacrifice made on our behalf.  A thanksgiving that flows out of a thanksgiving to God for the gift of His Son.  First, he teaches on the attitude and motivation we should have when we give to God for the work of the church locally and globally.  

Generosity Encouraged - 2 Corinthians 9

6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 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. 8 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. 9 As it is written:

“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;
    their righteousness endures forever.”

The principles Paul outlines here are really quite incredible.  Basically he is saying you can't "outgive God".  Many of us operate with a "scarcity mentality", as if there will never be enough to go around, so we hoard our resources.  David Guzik says this about these verses, 

"A farmer sowing seed may feel he loses seed as it falls from his hand to the ground, and we may feel we are losing when we give. But just as the farmer gives the seed it in anticipation of a future harvest, we should give with the same heart." - Guzik

Bottom line is Paul encourages them and us to have a "abundance mentality".  God doesn't want us to give begrudgingly, but do it out of thanksgiving.  It is kind of like when someone gives YOU a gift and they seem really resentful about it. You might say if you feel like that about it whey did you even give me the gift. God wants us to give because we want to not because we have to.  God doesn't need our gift to have his will done on earth as it is in heaven.  But God wants to bless us and increase our capacity to give.  Paul says it well, God loves a CHEERFUL GIVER!!

10 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. 11 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.

Paul again restates that when we give generously. God increases our capacity to give.  If we really believed it, we would probably give much more than we do.  Paul teaches them that not only will God increase our capacity to give, but he will enrich us in every way.  I think this means not only financially but in every way.  God sees us as a whole person, but we often compartmentalize our lives.  Finally, our giving gives praise to God.  Literally we "GIVE THANKS" by what we give, because it shows what we value and what is important to us.  As Martin Luther says, "The last thing to be converted is the pocketbook!"

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!

Finally, Paul gets to the most important motivation in giving which is the response to God's indescribable gift of His SON.  When you think about what Jesus did on the cross giving his very life for us and taking on our sin, how could we ever compare our gifts to His indescribable gift.  

On thanksgiving let's give thanks to God for our family, food and friends and the pilgrims who sacrificed their lives for our country. Most of all lets give thanks for the gift of salvation given to us by God by grace through faith in Jesus, by which we receive the gift of eternal life.  I give thanks for all of you and I pray that we will all stay safe get through this COVID time and the political unrest in our country. As we keep our eyes focused on Jesus and what He has done for us, we can give thanks in all things!  We can give glory to God in the highest by the way we give to God and others God calls us to love!