"But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver."
2 Corinthians 9:6-7
I like this idea of giving to others as "sowing." Like we are throwing out seeds that grow and grow into something bigger and grander than they started as. We so often in life have this idea of everything as a limited commodity... things that aren't limited at all, like love and faith and joy. We can't drain ourselves of those things... only block them with other, darker, emotions and beliefs. We let doubt drown out our faith sometimes, but we don't use it up. It is always there, if we choose to come back to it and start using it again. :) And I think that as much as we believe in economics and limited commodities, that giving isn't a limited resource either. It multiplies and grows, and somehow, no matter how much we give, we never run out. It isn't an economic principle, so the mites that the widow gave (Mark 12:42-44) probably didn't double her investment monetarily or anything, but it certainly brightened her life being able to give that gift to God, and her two mites grew into something that not only blessed her, but also us, learning from her example, through Christ. Even if we are out of mites, or whatever else, we always, always have something to give.
The idea of sowing doesn't mean that God wants every gift we give to have strings and expectations attached, where we only give in order to receive, either from that person or from God. That twists the idea into something it isn't. When we give, God asks us to give sincerely and freely, with no expectation of return. It's not the stock market or a guaranteed annual percentage rate... but giving to others (and through them, symbolically to Christ) is a better investment than any monetary one, because it isn't about our bank accounts, but about the world, and other people, and blessing lives and bringing joy. Today, let's give. Let's help and lift and enrich and love, and make the world better because we lived in it. As we do, we'll see the seeds that we plant growing and becoming something more, and we'll be blessed in return, allowing us to do more sowing and brightening. :)
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver."
2 Corinthians 9:6-7
I like this idea of giving to others as "sowing." Like we are throwing out seeds that grow and grow into something bigger and grander than they started as. We so often in life have this idea of everything as a limited commodity... things that aren't limited at all, like love and faith and joy. We can't drain ourselves of those things... only block them with other, darker, emotions and beliefs. We let doubt drown out our faith sometimes, but we don't use it up. It is always there, if we choose to come back to it and start using it again. :) And I think that as much as we believe in economics and limited commodities, that giving isn't a limited resource either. It multiplies and grows, and somehow, no matter how much we give, we never run out. It isn't an economic principle, so the mites that the widow gave (Mark 12:42-44) probably didn't double her investment monetarily or anything, but it certainly brightened her life being able to give that gift to God, and her two mites grew into something that not only blessed her, but also us, learning from her example, through Christ. Even if we are out of mites, or whatever else, we always, always have something to give.
The idea of sowing doesn't mean that God wants every gift we give to have strings and expectations attached, where we only give in order to receive, either from that person or from God. That twists the idea into something it isn't. When we give, God asks us to give sincerely and freely, with no expectation of return. It's not the stock market or a guaranteed annual percentage rate... but giving to others (and through them, symbolically to Christ) is a better investment than any monetary one, because it isn't about our bank accounts, but about the world, and other people, and blessing lives and bringing joy. Today, let's give. Let's help and lift and enrich and love, and make the world better because we lived in it. As we do, we'll see the seeds that we plant growing and becoming something more, and we'll be blessed in return, allowing us to do more sowing and brightening. :)
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