I was reading 2 Corinthians 9 this week and a couple interesting things stood out to me.
First, Paul was not ashamed to talk about money. I am often hesitant to talk about money. You turn on “Christian” radio or TV (which I rarely do) and you get a good dose of giving pleas. Certainly there has been a lot of abuse on the teaching about money and those who would like to get it. I remember hearing one guy begging and pleading for money to get the gospel out – in the divorce proceedings from his wife it came out that his personal income was over $500,000 per year. Stories like that make me cringe.
However, there is still an appropriate discussion about money. How we handle our money is an important spiritual discipline. Jesus said in Luke 16:11 And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? (nlt). One local pastor related how when people come to him for financial help, one of his first questions is whether or not they have been faithfully tithing. He noted that no one who has come to him for financial help had been faithfully tithing.
Paul observes in 2 Cor. 9.6 that people who sow sparingly will also reap sparingly and those who sow generously will also reap genersouly.
He goes on in v. 11 to point out that God gives us riches so that we can be generous. Generousity is a mark of a person who is growing spiritually.
Paul closes the chapter reminding us that no one has given more than God has.
While we may not like it, how we handle our money is truly the most practical way we demonstrate where our values and priorities are placed. It has often been said: show me your checkbook and your daytimer and I can tell you what is important to you.
We often claim loyalty to God and His people. How we spend our money and our time reflects what is really important to us.