If asked in what things in life you desired to excel, most would give answers such as ‘my profession’, ‘education’, ‘finances’, ‘good health’, or ‘family life.’ These are admirable goals, and God wants us to excel, living an exceptional life filled with faith, hope and love. We are to abide in Christ which causes us to abound in Christ. The Apostle Paul issued a crisis alert to challenge the Corinthian Church, full of prosperous members, to abide in Christ’s grace so as to be properly motivated to give to the struggling members in Jerusalem.
We Need To Be Challenged In Our Giving. Knowing that the Corinthians were competitive by nature, Paul led them to harness that drive with charity and responsibility. By using the example of the giving by the poorer Macedonian churches, he mirrored Christ’s example of pointing out the poor widow’s Temple gift. God challenges us not by those who have more, but by those who have less and give more.
The Lord Wants Us To Excel In All His Graces. Spiritual Gifts are Grace Gifts, all Gifts are good. But they are most profitable when used properly and with the right motives. The Grace of Giving best exemplifies the heart and mind of the Lord Jesus Christ, who became poor for our sakes that we might partake in His riches. The more we love, the more effortlessly, consistently and enthusiastically we will give and abound in grace.
When You Give From The Bottom Of You Heart God Tends To Increase Your Bottomline. The true bottom line is not money, but is grace. God wants our hearts, and once He has that, then He will supply our hearts with increasing grace. God is setting in front of us a grace challenge.