While speaking with one of our elderly members on the phone, this member made the following observation about the generous spirit that seems to permeate this congregation and leads to incredibly large contributions: “I think we probably have some members who are not able to give what they give, but they deny themselves in order to give to the Lord.” Think about that for a minute. Would some Christians actually “deny” their own needs to give to the Lord?
We know for certain that the early church had folks like that in it. Regarding some brethren in Macedonia, Paul said, “…the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing” (2 Cor. 8:2-3). They gave “beyond their ability,” and they did so with “abundance of joy” and “freely willing.” Two verses later Paul revealed the secret to such giving: “They first gave themselves to the Lord” (8:5).
What a joy to know there are Christians today just like those folks in Macedonia!