Begging to Give

Tuesday - November 23rd

Scripture to Read Today: 2 Corinthians 8:1-7

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They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem.

2 Corinthians 8:4 NLT

Recently my Dad visited with us for about ten days. He currently lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and has come to California about four or five times since we moved here in 2008. We always enjoy his time with us.

In recent years, Dad has spent a lot of time at his home with his dog, Clyde. While Dad's wife works all day, he and Clyde have their own rhythms and routines. While Dad was here, he did miss Clyde. As I said, they have a rhythm to their days together, and Dad missed the routine and pace of life with Clyde back home.

One of Dad's weaknesses with Clyde is that he lets Clyde beg for table scraps. He never allowed any of our dogs to do that when my brother and I were growing up. Our family teases Dad about how soft he is getting in his later years.

The idea of begging conveys desperation and even a bit of conniving. While dogs seem to know just when to tilt their heads and make a sad whimper as they beg, one human being begging another for anything is considered humiliating.

In 2 Corinthians chapter eight, Paul describes the financial giving and generosity of believers in the churches of Macedonia. He talks about how they gave despite all of the trials they had in life and their lack of financial resources. He says that the Macedonians gave "out of their poverty" to an offering for the hurting church in Jerusalem.

The Apostle Paul even implied that he pushed back on their giving because of how terrible and challenging their circumstances were for them. But, the Macedonian believers sincerely wanted to share in the offering. So, Paul described how much they wanted to give to help the church in Jerusalem. "They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem" (2 Corinthians 8:4 NLT).

How many of us beg to give to an offering? How many of us sincerely want to invest in God's Kingdom work amid our own trials and financial challenges?

While begging often has negative connotations, there is something so challenging and sweet about the posture of the Macedonian believers in their giving to God's work. How about you? Do you have such a deep passion for investing in the eternal Kingdom of God? Have you ever begged God or others for the opportunity to give?

Begging to give - what a concept!

When we live with a deep passion for Christ and His Kingdom, we desperately want to give financially to Him!