Genuine Love is Generous

Is our love genuine?

Paul, when writing to the church in Corinth (2 Cor. 8) concerning the collection for the suffering saints in Jerusalem, drops this provocative thought in verses 8 and 9:

“I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.”

Just before, he told them of the already impoverished Macedonian church who in joy, gave generously to the Christians in Jerusalem, clearly meant as an example, a nudge. And he says that their actions, their attitude, their own voluntary, joyful generosity, will prove that their love is genuine. What a weighty statement.
Yet, he doesn’t leave them hanging under all that pressure; Paul quickly follows with the gospel. Christ left his own, personal comfort, wealth, abundance, blessings and came to earth. And if that weren’t enough of a culture-shock and downgrade, he descended further, living a life of poverty and homelessness. And as though he hadn’t been abased enough, he continued -he volunteered- to humble himself by enduring slander, abuse, persecution, wrongful death, and alienation from his Father, so that we could be heirs with him. So that we could share in the life he left. So that we could be reconciled with our Father. So we could experience comfort and spiritual wealth. So we could have victory over death and be empowered by God’s grace and spirit.
So we could go and do likewise.

It is because of God’s forgiveness of our sins that we can forgive others. It’s because of God’s longsuffering with us that we can endure and strive patiently with our neighbors and brothers and sisters. And it’s because of God’s love and grace towards us that we can liberally love and give to others without fear.

There are many ways to give today, and although the collection plate is the obvious one, it isn’t the only one. Often there are many needs around us. Can we give money? Can we provide meals? Visits? Can we lower our standard of living so that others might have their needs met? Can we support missions or foreign needs? Can we set aside a collection at home so that when tragedy strikes others, we have extra to supply?

“For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.” 8:13-15

By God’s grace we’ve been empowered to live out for others what Christ has done for us. And if we aren’t doing so, is our love, is our faith, genuine? Or do we need to re-ignite our zeal with reminders and deeper understandings of the gospel?

Reading: 1 Sam 15-16, Ps 119:41-48, 2 Cor 7-8

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Struck Down, But Not Destroyed

Okay, I confess. I cheated and took the title from a chapter that isn’t in today’s reading. I hope you’ll read along anyway:

Some of our favorite stories are of people who rise above the depths of their childhood darkness. We are in awe of people who not only endure tremendous pain, but who come out stronger and kinder and successful, people like Louis Zamperini whose trauma as a prisoner of war was followed in the recent film ‘Unbroken’.
Yet at the same time, we probably know a family member or friend, or maybe it’s ourselves who buckle under difficulty, lash out at others, withdraw permanently, those who have now adopted a negative, critical view of life and others, who are engulfed in bitterness and hurt. So, are some people just better when it comes to enduring affliction?

I wouldn’t say so, and I don’t think Paul would either. I think perspective and hope make all the difference – and how much greater the difference when our perspectives and hopes are rooted in Christ.

Many of us Christians know certain truths – we have a ‘head knowledge’ about what suffering is, what the purpose of it might be, how to endure. We’ve read 2 Corinthians 1 and highlighted verses like “…the God of all comfort, who comforts us in our afflictions” or “ For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too” or “But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead” or “On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.”

Yet it isn’t until we’re broadsided by difficulty that we can begin the process of transferring that head-knowledge to functional heart-knowledge. The question isn’t whether we’re strong enough or good enough to endure or whether we just have an outstanding character or  we’re magically-equipped for life, the question is whether we’ll continue to draw close to the One who is strongest, the only One good enough, the One who can deliver us and comfort us and transform us.

Oftentimes, it’s those very difficulties we want to be rid of that are actually our gateway into a deeper communion with God, and a greater maturity as his children. When trials come, we all can see those ugly traits that have been hiding within the recesses of our hearts. So, if we’re feeling discouraged not only because of our circumstances, but also because of how we’ve been reacting to them, we can take heart. That’s precisely what God wants us to notice. He’s not surprised – though we might not have realized our weaknesses, he’s always seen them, and suffering can be a tool of God to bring those weaknesses into our line of vision. He doesn’t want us to be paralyzed, but rather motivated to pray, reflect, and rely on him for growth.  Nevertheless, enduring suffering well may include very long periods of much sorrow, depression, tears, “despairing of life”, it may mean confusion and setbacks and frustration. We don’t need to hinder our progress by feeling guilt over where we are in our growth. Let’s simply focus on one day at a time, and make our goal each day to simply abide in Christ.

His will is for us to come out stronger and better through trials, but never by our own doing or as a cause for boasting. God is not waiting to discover which person we’ll be, which category we’ll fall into, he’s waiting for us to discover him and what he will do through us if we’ll humbly allow.

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Today’s Reading:  1 Sam 9-10, Psalm 119:17-24, 1 Cor 16- 2 Cor 1

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