Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Overflowing Joy and Generosity: The Grace of Giving

Bible Reading:  2 Corinthian 8:1-15

Key verse:  "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 through his poverty might become rich "Vs 9.

DEVOTION

Most people often overlook the joy that can accompany the act of giving. Usually, giving feels like something done out of duty or even guilt. But what’s surprising about the churches of Macedonia, as Paul points out, is that they found joy in giving even when they were struggling.
Even when they were struggling to make ends meet, they gave more than anyone expected. Paul also points out that they pleaded for an opportunity to help in the service of the saints (2 Corinthians 8:4).They didn’t give because they had extra, but they believed that God can use their small contributions for something bigger.
This kind of generosity isn’t born out of pressure but through belief in God and his greater mission. The Macedonians gave because they recognized and trusted the divine work unfolding before them, and they longed to participate in it. Such a posture redefines giving—not as a matter of quantity, but as a matter of the heart, shaped by faith and surrender.
Paul simplifies the act of giving as something given through willingness, not as an act of public acts or quantity. It doesn’t always have to be about money, it can be your time, effort or attention. What truly matters is the question: “Are you giving out of fear, or because you sincerely want to?”. When giving is shaped by joy, it becomes something more than just helping out. It becomes a response to grace.

PRAYER

God, thank You for showing us that generosity is not about how much we have, but how. God, thank you for showing us that generosity is not about how much we have, but how willing we are to given.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Joy does not simply happen to Us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.
Henri Nouwen.

Sanju T Soman, B.D. 1, MTTS - Kottayam
Kumplanthanam St. Johns Mar Thoma Church

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