“Now as you excel in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us – excel also in this grace.” (2 Corinthians 8:7 CSB)
Excellence is a great value to have. People who value excellence in one area of life usually value it in other areas as well.
Paul affirmed the Corinthians for their commitment to excellence in faith, speech, knowledge, diligence, and love, and he appealed to this commitment in order to urge them toward excellence in the grace of giving.
Paul used the Macedonian churches as an example of this. He noted that, although the churches of Macedonia were marked by extreme poverty, they went beyond their ability and “begged us insistently for the privilege of sharing in the ministry to the saints, and not just as we had hoped. Indeed they gave themselves especially to the Lord, then to us by God’s will. (verses 4-5)
Genuine giving is a grace. Grace is something given not on the basis of merit but on the basis of character and personhood. God graced us not because we deserved it or out of some kind of obligation toward us but because of who He is. It came from the “character” of God, that is, His nature. Giving at this level goes beyond money to include all of life. Those who excel in this grace give their most precious possession – time, and they give their talent or ability as well. They view this not as some kind of obligation but as a privilege. To excel in the grace of giving is to first give yourself, and everything else flows from that.
Whatever we give, let us give as a grace, and let us aim for excellence. The Lord gave us His best out of love. May we do the same.
Lord, May today see the full expression of excellence in the grace of giving in our lives. May this serve to honor You. Amen.
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