“for I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. as it is written, “whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.” [2 corinthians 8:13-15]
in God’s economy, everything is made by him for his glory; everything is his. there is fluidity to the resources, financial and otherwise, that he has only temporarily entrusted to us.
here, God shows us what it looks like to give and give instead of give and take.
there is no compromise in God’s economy, rather collaboration. in a compromise, one if not both parties lose. in a collaboration, both contribute to the outcome. this is how we all can at any given time look to the interests of others.
“do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” [philippians 2:3]
God asks us to collaborate with each other in the resources that he has given us in any season because it is all his. although we may provide for others’ practical needs, we have already gained everything we could ever need through the finished work of Jesus. whether or not someone does what you’d want with the resources you’ve given or has a grateful heart, you’ve been obedient to what God asks of you.
“they gathered, some more, some less. but when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. each of them gathered as much as he could eat.” [exodus 16:17-18]
when God led the israelites out of their 400+ years of slavery in egypt and into the wilderness, he provided for them. the Lord graciously provided for the people who only grumbled and complained of hunger – quail by evening and manna by morning. asking that they take only what they could eat for the day, God wanted to grow their dependence on Him.
what would it look like to give, so much so, that there was a gap, only he could fill?
what would it look like to be dependent on only him today?
~ natalie schmidt