By Christopher K

Out of the most severe trial..........

their overflowing joy..........

and their extreme poverty..........

welled up in rich generosity.

For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. 2 Corinthians 8:2,3

Giving. Such an uncomfortable word sometimes. Especially when we ourselves struggle with the constant fact that we do not even have enough to meet our own needs most of the time.

I am not speaking of tithing or the giving of offerings.

I speak of the giving of ourselves. Our entire lives. Our total resources. Our entire time, our entire efforts.

There was an attitude in the Early Church which I rarely see in practice completely today. Of course we catch glimpses of it from time to time as we see brethren serving and laying down their lives for the brethren.

In Acts chapter 2 verses 44 and 45 it states that 'All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.'

Notice that it states 'they gave to anyone as he had need'.

So many times we find ourselves counting our own personal needs, looking at our own list of problems before we truly consider the needs and problems which others face. This happens especially in this time of troubled economics in the Former Soviet Union.

I travel regularly throughout the Former Republics. Especially in Georgia and Armenia, yet in Russia, too, I find widespread poverty. People, even if they see that someone has a need, have difficulty helping to meet that need.

They simply have nothing to give, or at least it seems that way.

Let's change the subject a bit. We as Church leaders desire that our ministries become more effective, that our churches will grow, that our missions will flourish. Sometimes we think that having a fully computerized office is the answer. Sometimes we thhink that a large evangelistic crusade or a full color Christian newspaper are the answers to bring hundreds of souls into our churches.

But let's look at the Book of Acts again just two verses after the one stated above, verse 47. Just after it stated that they sold their possessions and gave to those who had need and had everything in common, it states:

'And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.'

So simple a principle, yet sometimes so hard to practise. Such a simple and successful key for church building is rarely found.

Am I suggesting to have the members of your church sell their homes and apartments and purchase a farm and live together? Not quite.

What I am speaking of is an attitude, and atmosphere which we need to encourage in our churches. An attitude of giving, of placing the needs of others even before our own.

One pastor in Armenia mentioned to me that they had a difficult time reaching the village residents, leading them to a real understanding of who Christ really is. He said they preached the Gospel time after time after time, and the villagers just turned their backs with their hearts closed.

He stated that they were so poor, had so much work tending their animals, and they had no time to come to a meeting, nor wanted to. They saw nothing interesting in the Christian life that made them want to make the effort to come to a meeting or become a Christian.

I asked the pastor if he had ever tried meeting some of their physical needs. When you know your neighbor who yells at you because you are a Christian has no bread on his table, have you ever tried buying him a loaf of bread? It is better to give than receive.

'And they had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.'

Can you imagine what would happen if all Christians placed even their enemies needs before their own? We would start a spiritual revolution!!!

Christians serving their enemies. Rarely heard of. Why, it sounds so strange and backwards.

'And the Lord added to their number.........daily.'

Not just a few per year, but daily!

But we say we have so little ourselves. How can we even think of others needs.

What does the Word of God say? Let's go back to 2 Corinthians 8:2.

'Out of the most severe trial' they gave. We say, 'No one has problems like I do.'

But they gave out of the most 'SEVERE TRIAL'. Think of the greatest problem you ever had. I have had many in my life, and can remember difficult times when giving or placing someone elses needs in front of mine would have felt worse than having all my teeth pulled out at one time without novocaine!

It was impossible to give to someone else when my pain was so great, but the Word says that they gave out of the most severe trial.

Mix that giving out of the most severe trial with a little 'OVERFLOWING JOY'. Our soul sometimes wants to control us, when in fact, we shoould be controlling our soul. Joy, if we allow our soul to be in control, can be so very hard to find in a severe trial or difficult period. I not only speak of joy, but as the Word states, 'overflowing joy'.

I have found in my life that I need to make dsecisions sometimes. I can decide to have joy, or not to have joy.

You can have have overflowing joy in severe trial, if you choose to. But you must choose to. It won't come on its own. You must reach out and grasp it, and not let it go!

So, these early church members of the Macedonian churches, in severe trial, had overflowing joy. And this joy they mixed into a recipe for giving.

'AND IN THEIR EXTREME POVERTY.' Not only were they experiencing severe trial, but added to that, extreme poverty!

For example, can you imagine if your spouse just died, you had a terminal illness, you had no food, no money, your son is in the Army and is at war, and you had no one to help you. You owe people money, and they are knocking at your door to collect and threaten you. Your neighbors are your enemies, your relatives despise you, and the scorching heat outside allows you no rest.

Can you imagine this person whose situation I have described above, giving out of his lack?

Can you imagine that this person could even think of placing another's needs ahead of his own?

'I am not commanding you, but want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.

'For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, that through his poverty, we might become rich.' 2 Corinthians 8:8,9

In this very same passage of scripture, it speaks both of our giving out of severe trial and extreme poverty, and, that Christ made Himself poor so that others might become rich.

It is very clear in my mind that we must also do the same, and it is this point Paul is trying to explain to the Corinthian church.

Christ gave all placing us before Himself. We too, must take on and build an attitude in our ministries of placing the needs of those around us in first place before our own.

And we will be suprised to see our own needs being met by God Himself.

It is a principal which functions only when placed into practice.

Time, plans, resources. All sacrificed for the sake of others. We must follow Christ's example.

What He did, we must do, too. He laid down His life, so must we. He became zero so others could be something, so must we. He loved His enemies, so must we. The list goes on and on and on and on.

Don't think we only need to read it. We need to practise what we read!

Be as Christ was and is. Do what Christ did and does now.

He came as an example to us, because there was no true example. He came to open our eyes to show us how we should walk.

Now we have the responsibility to walk correctly.

Even Philippians 2 states that 'each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.'

'He made Himself to be nothing..........

'taking the very nature of a servant..........

'He humbled Himself..........

'and became obedient unto death..........

The King James Version says in the same chapter, 'let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.'

Back to 2 Corinthians 8:

'for I testify, that they gave as much as they were able to give, and even beyond their ability.'

We have so many oportunities to give, to lay down our lives for others. Sometimes we find ourselves needing to give well beyond our own ability. This is the realm where we find ourselves needing to place our full confidence in Christ and His graces He has for us.

I honestly believe that it is in this 'realm' we should be living most of our Christian lives. This is the 'faith zone'. We find this 'zone' many times in Scripture. Christ lived in it constantly.

An example is when He sent out the desciples taking nothing for their journey except a staff, no bread, no bag, no money, no extra clothing. The 'Faith Zone'. Total dependence on God.

He was teaching them an important lesson in Faith. Go to the countryside and villages and live there for weeks and months at a time, but take no provisions, because I will provide for you Myself.

Oh, what a wonderful walk we have in Christ if we will only walk as He wants us to.

Lord, please return us to the walk you want us to walk. The walk of faith, the walk of fully depending on you. Cause us to see our error if there is any, and give us the grace and desire to change. Cause us to be givers of ourselves, our time, our resources and our lives. Help us to see that the things you give us are not our own, but are yours.

Back to 2 Corinthians 8:7

'But just as you excell in everything - in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us - see that you also excell in this grace of giving.'

Excell in this grace of giving. I repeat, excell in this grace of giving. Step out into the faith realm, into the 'grace zone'. Step off that cliff into the everloving hands of Jesus, trusting Him without reservation. Holding nothing back, hiding no treasure for a rainy day.

'Out of the most severe trial..........their overflowing joy..........and their extreme poverty..........welled up into rich generosity.

What a beautiful recipe. It is like a favorite dessert.

Giving, by mixing a little bit of severe trial with overflowing joy and extreme poverty. And it wells up into a beautiful creation of rich generosity.