Passage Read: 2 Corinthians 8-9
Meditation Verse: 8:8
Thought
Paul is not commanding them to give a gift, but he wants to test the sincerity of their love for Christ by comparing it to the earnestness of others. It was actually the Corinthians who first thought of giving to the saints in Jerusalem, and their compassion inspired others to do the same. Now there's concern that their initial zeal may have been lost in the busyness of life. But Paul has boldness to frame this as a test of their sincerity and love for Christ--as compared to others, specifically the Macedonians, who are poor compared to the Corinthians. It's not a comparison of amounts, but of zeal. How we give is more important than how much we give. How much we give compared to how much we're able to give--not how much another gives--reveals the character of our heart. It reveals how much we love and trust Jesus Christ, and how much we care for our fellow disciples. Jesus said our love for one another would show the world that we're Jesus' disciples. That's what Paul is testing here; that's what Paul is trying to reveal through these instructions.
Application
My love is often tested by God. But someone who loves me, who oversees my soul, also has a right to test the sincerity of my love for Christ. One of the most revealing tests is how I give my money, and how generous I am with my money. It is so powerful a test that many church attendees can be so deeply offended by it that they turn away from a church and never return. That also reveals a heart, and God through Paul is willing to sift this church. It wouldn't be the first time Jesus offended some of His disciples, and it certainly won't be the last. This is a call to generosity, because generosity reveals what a person trusts, whether God or money. Followers of Christ are supposed to trust God and be generous with whatever money they have--not with money they don't have. The percent I give tells far more about my heart than the amount I give. And the gladness with which I give reveals the genuineness and depth of love I have for Christ and His people. It is absolutely acceptable for God to use others to test the sincerity of my love for Christ by asking me to give in support of God's people and His work. The more gladly and generously I respond, the more confidence I can have in my confession of Christ, that it is indeed saving faith.