“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.” (2 Corinthians 9:8, NRSV)
According to the scripture above from 2 Corinthians, the reason God blesses you is so that you “may share abundantly in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8). God does not bless you so that you can revel in the abundance. God does not bless you so that you can fulfill all your dreams in self-absorbed bliss. God does not bless you so that you can be awash in money, fat with an overabundance of food, or have your retirement accounts overflowing. Paul, who wrote 2 Corinthians, is entirely convinced that God provides “every blessing in abundance” not only so that you may “have enough” but also that you may “share abundantly”.
If you do not see God’s blessings in your life, you must not be looking hard enough. A loving relationship with God implies that you will receive “blessing in abundance”. God will give you what you really need. The world will gladly give you more than enough to destroy yourself.
In today’s world, the cause of much suffering and discontent is that people don’t see God’s “blessing in abundance”. They are too focused on keeping track of all the “things” owned by the rich. They are mesmerized by newfangled gizmos touted in advertising and hyped in social media. They long to win the lottery, be rich, live in a mansion, and be surrounded by the latest and greatest. Sadly, many of those who are surrounded by luxury are shallow or selfish. How many times have you watched a child who has been spoiled throw a tantrum for another thing? How many news articles have informed you of rich people who use their wealth to throw their weight around, manipulate the courts, or take advantage of others? Excess wealth used wrongly does not make one happy, nor wise, nor loving, nor merciful.
The world is trying to sell you a lie. It proclaims that the rich are not only successful but worthy of emulation. The world promotes people who have become wealthy, even if that wealth was gained sinfully. Social media praises those who are successful entertainers, even if their lives are devoid of goodness, love, and grace. News reports contain the stories of the successful, all the while reporters are digging up “dirt” to destroy the lives of innocents. The world has it all backward. It sees riches as blessings, abundance as an end in itself, and glorifies selfish excess. God gives “every blessing in abundance” while promoting “sharing abundantly”. So often the world and God are at complete odds over blessings and abundance and wealth and riches.
Worldly ideals of riches and blessings and abundance have so corrupted the thinking of many that they no longer understand nor give thanks for God’s “abundant blessings”. Often this results in Christian people being miserly instead of “sharing abundantly”. These worldly views can even twist church leaders into thinking that the size of the church determines its faithfulness or the wealth in a church is directly proportional to its goodness. I have seen many Christians and churches caught up in worldly promotions such as “keeping up with the Jones’”, “sheep stealing”, and elaborate building programs. Some Christians churches even pride themselves for “sharing abundantly” while hoarding endowment money or padding investments. Even more sinful, some churches and church people “share abundantly” with social programs that affect public policy and promote worldly political programs rather than actually helping needy people. Worse yet, religious people and institutions have been caught up in wealth-building schemes while advertising their paltry support and outreach to the poor.
Don’t mistake blessings for riches. Don’t get caught up in worldly selfishness. Don’t downplay or overlook God’s abundance of blessings. To do any of these things is to deceitfully manipulate today’s scripture and dishonor Almighty God.
To further comprehend the opposition of worldly views of abundance and God’s view of blessings, look at how many relate to their wealth. The world says that people with money need to “manage their assets”. Usually, this involves investing the money “to make more money”. It often involves building bigger homes, buying more stocks and bonds, and “filling out the portfolio”. How often do you hear of investment companies suggesting that their clients share generously unless it involves a tax break! God’s blessings need to be shared. God’s abundance will corrupt if not put to faithful use. Remember how the manna in the wilderness would rot when hoarded? This was one more example of how God’s blessings were MEANT TO BE SHARED, not ripe for investments in self-indulgence.
If you want to know whether your mind and soul have been corrupted by worldly influences of wealth and blessing, consider the following:
“In all fairness, if we ask the ‘Why me?’ question in regard to our burdens, we should also ask it in regard to our blessings.
“We take for granted 100 days of perfect health, and then grumble about one day of aches and pains.
“We drive the freeway hundreds of times without incident, and then ask, ‘Why me?’ the one time we have a flat tire or engine trouble.
“We casually accept the fact when our family is together for the holidays, but when we are separated, we dwell on our loneliness.
“How often do we say, ‘Why me?’ as we count our blessings?
“Rather than feeling sad about what we don’t have, doesn’t it make more sense to feel a kind of rollicking rejoicing over everything we do have?”
(Dr. Dale Turner, quoted in MSC Health Action News, Vol. XVII, No. 11, Nov./Dec., 1997, p. 1)
What you do with blessings and abundance tells a whole lot about what you value and what you believe. It puts a light on your faith and on your love of God. Do you have a godly view of blessings? What do you like to do with an abundance of blessings?
If you do not see God’s blessings in your life, you must not be looking hard enough. A loving relationship with God implies that you will receive “blessing in abundance”. God will give you what you really need. The world will gladly give you more than enough to destroy yourself.
In today’s world, the cause of much suffering and discontent is that people don’t see God’s “blessing in abundance”. They are too focused on keeping track of all the “things” owned by the rich. They are mesmerized by newfangled gizmos touted in advertising and hyped in social media. They long to win the lottery, be rich, live in a mansion, and be surrounded by the latest and greatest. Sadly, many of those who are surrounded by luxury are shallow or selfish. How many times have you watched a child who has been spoiled throw a tantrum for another thing? How many news articles have informed you of rich people who use their wealth to throw their weight around, manipulate the courts, or take advantage of others? Excess wealth used wrongly does not make one happy, nor wise, nor loving, nor merciful.
The world is trying to sell you a lie. It proclaims that the rich are not only successful but worthy of emulation. The world promotes people who have become wealthy, even if that wealth was gained sinfully. Social media praises those who are successful entertainers, even if their lives are devoid of goodness, love, and grace. News reports contain the stories of the successful, all the while reporters are digging up “dirt” to destroy the lives of innocents. The world has it all backward. It sees riches as blessings, abundance as an end in itself, and glorifies selfish excess. God gives “every blessing in abundance” while promoting “sharing abundantly”. So often the world and God are at complete odds over blessings and abundance and wealth and riches.
Worldly ideals of riches and blessings and abundance have so corrupted the thinking of many that they no longer understand nor give thanks for God’s “abundant blessings”. Often this results in Christian people being miserly instead of “sharing abundantly”. These worldly views can even twist church leaders into thinking that the size of the church determines its faithfulness or the wealth in a church is directly proportional to its goodness. I have seen many Christians and churches caught up in worldly promotions such as “keeping up with the Jones’”, “sheep stealing”, and elaborate building programs. Some Christians churches even pride themselves for “sharing abundantly” while hoarding endowment money or padding investments. Even more sinful, some churches and church people “share abundantly” with social programs that affect public policy and promote worldly political programs rather than actually helping needy people. Worse yet, religious people and institutions have been caught up in wealth-building schemes while advertising their paltry support and outreach to the poor.
Don’t mistake blessings for riches. Don’t get caught up in worldly selfishness. Don’t downplay or overlook God’s abundance of blessings. To do any of these things is to deceitfully manipulate today’s scripture and dishonor Almighty God.
To further comprehend the opposition of worldly views of abundance and God’s view of blessings, look at how many relate to their wealth. The world says that people with money need to “manage their assets”. Usually, this involves investing the money “to make more money”. It often involves building bigger homes, buying more stocks and bonds, and “filling out the portfolio”. How often do you hear of investment companies suggesting that their clients share generously unless it involves a tax break! God’s blessings need to be shared. God’s abundance will corrupt if not put to faithful use. Remember how the manna in the wilderness would rot when hoarded? This was one more example of how God’s blessings were MEANT TO BE SHARED, not ripe for investments in self-indulgence.
If you want to know whether your mind and soul have been corrupted by worldly influences of wealth and blessing, consider the following:
“In all fairness, if we ask the ‘Why me?’ question in regard to our burdens, we should also ask it in regard to our blessings.
“We take for granted 100 days of perfect health, and then grumble about one day of aches and pains.
“We drive the freeway hundreds of times without incident, and then ask, ‘Why me?’ the one time we have a flat tire or engine trouble.
“We casually accept the fact when our family is together for the holidays, but when we are separated, we dwell on our loneliness.
“How often do we say, ‘Why me?’ as we count our blessings?
“Rather than feeling sad about what we don’t have, doesn’t it make more sense to feel a kind of rollicking rejoicing over everything we do have?”
(Dr. Dale Turner, quoted in MSC Health Action News, Vol. XVII, No. 11, Nov./Dec., 1997, p. 1)
What you do with blessings and abundance tells a whole lot about what you value and what you believe. It puts a light on your faith and on your love of God. Do you have a godly view of blessings? What do you like to do with an abundance of blessings?