God's amazing goodness

God is so incredibly good. It is such an awesome thing when God uses one person or a group of people to bless one of His children. It causes an outbreak of rejoicing, which is exactly what giving is meant to do.

Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men, and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

What does all this mean? God literally enriches you in everything, so that you can be more liberal in your giving. Why is being liberal in your giving so important? You are sharing with the person to whom you are giving, the picture of a benevolent God who is rich beyond measure, and in His riches gave the most precious thing that He had to purchase our sinful souls, His only Son. When you give, you cause people to glorify God, because you demonstrate the grace that God extended to you. Here's another benefit: you tie their heart to yours, very much in the same way, as the King James puts it, "that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul." Because of his good conversation, Jonathan loved David as his own soul. Conversation is meant to mean more than just the words we speak. Jonathan loved David because his actions gave weight to the words he used. So in giving, you add weight to your words of love, what Paul calls "the proof of this ministry." When you give generously, you hold up a mirror that reflects the Beautiful God who gave up His Precious Son for you and me, and in so doing you cause an outbreak of rejoicing.