Grace – the final frontier…
Is grace really all it is about? If we could be gracious and merciful giving to everyone as we have been given, no hold on strike that. Giving more grace and mercy to everyone around us than we have been given. That is what Paul tells the Corinthians in the passage for the day from 2 Corinthians.
We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints—and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also. (2 Corinthians 8:1-7 ESV)
The Macedonian’s are not the wealthiest congregation. They have been through something horrible, Paul does not say what here, but he tells the Corinthians that they are poor and yet they are sending money and more than they can afford to help keep Paul’s ministry team moving forward. He lifts them up not to show that they are doing this. Paul lifts them up to show that we all can give and even beyond what we have been given. It is about living a gracious life! It is not about what we get or what we have, it is about giving away graciously what we have been given, knowing that all will be taken care of.
Live a gracious life and excel in living graciously!
aSacredRebel 