2 Corinthians 9:12 "So two good things will result from this ministry of giving-the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God."
In this scripture Paul talks about the ministry of giving, I've heard it said that we are never more like God than when we give. The most well known scripture in the entire bible shows us that God is a giver and giving should be motivated by love.
John 3:16 says " For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son..." God loved so God gave and that is the ministry of giving in a nut shell.
In our scripture for today, Paul teaches us that there are two things that will result from our giving, number one is that the needs of others will be meet. Isn't this what happened as a result of God's giving in John 3:16; we had a need and God sowed a seed. That seed Jesus Christ meet the needs of humanity and reconciled us to God. When we give our motivation should be love and our desire should be to meet the needs of others.
There are those who say we give to get and even though the principle of sowing and reaping is correct, I believe that motive matters to God. And the biblical motivation for giving is not getting, it is love. A love for God and a love for people, this kind of motivation produces the greatest fruit.
The second result from our giving, is that those who receive will praise God because of your giving. God is glorified and exalted when we give, our generosity produce praise and thanksgiving to abound. As Christians we are called to glorify God, what an amazing revelation that through our giving, not only does our obedience and acts of love glorify God but it also causes others to give him praise.
Sometimes people give to others, so that they will be praised, or so that they can brag about what they have given. But when we give, our giving should produce praise for God and God alone. That is why the scripture says when you give don't let your right hand know what your left hand is doing. Don't give to receive praise, give so that God will be praised, because that should be the result of our giving.
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