When little is a lot.

2 Corinthians 8:1-5 NLT

Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem.  They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.

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Albanian Abundance

"Help if you can," is a common refrain you hear from people raising funds. But maybe it should be rephrased, "help if you want joy."

It's obvious from Paul's description of the Macedonians that they had a full plate. He says they are being tested by many troubles. Turning to Jesus had a huge impact on people then, it effected their employment, their relationship to the city leaders, their relationships with their families, and if the new anti-Christian witchhunters (like Paul himself had been) were in town then life could be very difficult indeed. Presumably the Macedonians were being stonewalled, hunted and taken advantage of. Imagine not being able to get work and the local real estate agents all colluding to keep you from getting a fair price for your property. Increasingly your whole church community is needy, jobless  ostracised, and afraid.
Into this pitiful situation the news that others you've never met are suffering  moves your church to have a whip around. They are poor, and their immediate future prospects are grim and yet they find joy in giving. And although the needy in question are in a very tight spot they in fact may have actually been people who had previously been well off. The Macedonians probably had been poor at best all along and before they became followers of Jesus, where as the Jewish Christians now suffering in Jerusalem by in large could most likely have been comfortable or better off back before the persecution and the huge influx of new believers.

The Macedonians in spite of their circumstances are filled with joy. And this joy manifested itself in generous giving. I've always thought (maybe influenced by loony toons) that if we only had one bean between the members of our family we'd make the bean slices a little smaller so we could get one more person at the table. The slice might be smaller but the joy would be greater. It is obvious that generosity is a by-product of joy. Joy was a by-product of faith. It is true that this new faith had landed them all in rather troubling a spot of bother. But that was only temporary (even if it lasted for years). The Macedonian believers were so confident that God would care for them that their problems didn't dash their absolute confidence in God's wonderful gift of salvation. Having received this ultimate gift they felt rich. So they had plenty to share. The giving was cathartic and addictive and spread like a virus until the whole church was giving spontaneously and sacrificially.

We live now in time where every one wants to get not give. Today the answer of the educated powerful is to throw money at poverty. The failure of every project is lack of funds. The solution of every need is better funding. But  the Macedonians should have been the recipients not the funders. And today most people would say that it was 'foolish' to endanger the church, and the family by short-changing yourself to help others. Paul commends them. He recognises that their generosity with stuff and money was not really the root of their generosity. Rather they had already given themselves to the Lord and to Paul. The Macedonians didn't own themselves so they didn't have to worry about taking care of themselves. They were God's. It was God's responsibility to take care of them. And they knew in Jesus they were secure so they are free to give everything away.
Wouldn't you like to be so free?

Delmar was right!

Luke 12:15-21 NLT

Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops.  He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’  Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods.  And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

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This test reveals the state of our heart. Do you really trust Jesus to meet your needs?

Talk about countercultural,  seems Everything that has breath in this world is either praising wealth or seeking it. But Delmar's advise to Pete in O Brother Where Art Thou is good advice,  "Do not seek the treasure!"  Unless it is the treasure of having your sins washed away, even if it's knocking over the Piggly Wiggly and then lying about it. See what seeking the world's treasure leads to.

Jesus wants to know if you love and trust him more than wealth. Evaluate your goals, your actions, your time, your pride, your desires or your giving. What does it reveal?

I think it is impossible to trust God for all your needs unless He has worked the miracle of redemption in your soul.

But if you are a real believer I still don't think it will be easy or immediately natural to love God more than money. But I know you'll know it's the right way to live. You'll feel the struggle. You'll want to trust God more than money. And in many ways you'll begin to show it by giving to to others in need. You won't always think you'd be happier if you had a little more.
You will find a way to share. You'll think about others' needs more than you think of your own desires. And you won't keep hoping you hit it big in the lottery, or that a rich relative will leave you a bundle. You won't fall for some insurance scam, law offices advert or class action suit.
Your hope will not be in wealth.

You'll believe that a rich relationship with God is better than anything else.

You'll invest in your relationship with God. You'll read his word. You'll obey out of love. You'll not seek this world's empty treasure.

So how's your heart? What does it reveal?

Here read a bit more of what Jesus said about this :

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Luke 12:22-34 NLT

Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear.  For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing.  Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds!  Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?  And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things? “Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.  And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things.  These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs.  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom. “Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it.  Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

Rivers are refreshed, canals are stagnant.

A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

Proverbs 11:25 NIV

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The freshest water is flowing.

Do you feel a bit stagnant? Are your resources running low? When we're struggling our response is often to dam up our outflows and say, "I just need a little me time!, " When what we often need is to focus on others. It seems like turning in and focusing on self will pump us up. But or judgement is false. We need to give; we need to be in need. Because when we have an outflow that isn't selfish we make space for God to fill us up. And God works in this way. He will fill you up when you are genuinely generous.

I've spent a lot of time thinking about this verse over the years. And I can't help but see the truth in it. My experience bears it out.

Some of you may think you've been giving and you have run dry. And I'd suggest two things.

You weren't giving out of a generous heart. If your service, gift giving and "generosity" is actually motivated by your image, or your duty, or some other selfish motive, of course you'll run out. This is because you are giving out of your own self generated and hoarded resources.

To constantly be filled with new blessings every day you must be looking to an unending resource. You have to have an eternal supply. God must be your source. Let God's purposes be your aim. If you allow the limitless fountain of God's blessing become your supply and the generous just and righteous purposes of God be your reason for giving you will always have God's new blessings for yourself.

Give until you have nothing to give, so that you can only depend on God and like mana from heaven you'll have a new supply every morning.

I can tell you in the hardest situations under the most difficult circumstances I've found this to be true.

It won't make you rich but you'll be wealthy in refreshment from God and secure in his abundant spring of life bubbling up inside you.

Go give for God and get refreshed.