Overcoming Financial Stress (5)

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.

One of the reasons that Jesus made such a splash back in His day is that in the face of the brutal realities of the Graeco-Roman world, coupled with the corruption of Israel’s religious leaders, He proclaimed and lived out a message of radical unselfishness.

Back in 1836 George and Mary Müller founded the Ashley Down orphanage in Bristol, England. They were by no means wealthy. Quite the opposite, in fact. The Müllers struggled with poverty, often lacking the basic essentials.

They began with just thirty girls. As the years went by they established multiple orphanages, eventually caring for over 10,000 children. They never asked for financial assistance, simply believing that God would provide for their needs through prayer. Remarkably, over and over again, donations would arrive … just in time.

Still to this day – beyond their immediate impact on thousands of children and families – the Müller’s lives continue to inspire folk like you and me to live generously despite our limited means.

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. (NRSV)

Counterintuitive though it may be, one of the best ways to overcome financial stress is to live generously. For the one who sows sparingly will reap sparingly, but the one who sows bountifully will reap bountifully

That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.