6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.”
10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
2 Corinthians 9:6-11 (NIV)
Some call the Apostle Paul’s statement in verse 6 The Law of the Harvest. The more you sow, the more you’ll reap. The more you give, the more you’ll receive.
Although, as we’ll see shortly, Paul wasn’t using greed as a motivation for giving, some people seem to miss that point. Some years ago a Christian ministry sent out a letter telling people that if they gave only $67 each the organization would have all it wanted, and God would reward those who gave by returning to them five times as much as they had given. One person who received this appeal wrote back that the organization would be better off sending him $67 since God would surely give them a greater reward for their generosity. Apparently they weren’t so sure of their theology. Not only did they decline to take him up on his offer, they removed him from their mailing list!
While God often does give material blessings to those who give generously, He doesn’t give us more so we can hoard it. Rather, He gives us more so we can give more!
Notice that in verse 8 Paul says that “God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” In verse 11 he says, “You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion.”
God blesses us so that we can bless others. Or, better yet, He blesses us so that He can bless others through us. Just as we saw last month that God gives us our talents and abilities so that we can use them for the benefit of others and for His glory, in the same way He gives us financial and material resources so we can use them to help others and accomplish His purposes.
God wants us to be conduits, not storage facilities. He wants us to use what He has given us, not to enrich ourselves, but to bless others.