You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others” (2 Corinthians 9:11-13 ESV).
Next Friday is Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving day that retailers begin their Christmas shopping season in earnest. Many even begin their “Black Friday” sales early, starting on Thanksgiving Day in their pursuit of the consumer’s dollar. This shopping day represents one of the top three sales days of the year for most retailers along with Christmas Eve and December 26th.
Black Friday has become a national obsession for many Americans. The really committed Black Friday shoppers camp outside of stores like Best Buy, Target and Toys-R-Us, to be first in line when the doors of these retailers open. They do this to get the best deals on this year’s PS4, XBox, Barbie or Furby. Some even miss Thanksgiving turkey with their families while camping for days in advance of Black Friday outside their favorite store. Black Friday shoppers are willing to sacrifice a lot to compete for their desired advertised item.
The apostle Paul talks about another way to celebrate Thanksgiving. He wrote a letter to the very wealthy and gifted church in the city of Corinth about a need in Jerusalem. A famine had struck the land of Israel and he was raising money to help feed the hungry. He challenged the Corinthians to go against the “flow” of their culture to spend on themselves and instead to “overflow” in generosity toward others, and so offer thanksgiving to God.
He said that their “submission” of this generous thanksgiving gift would come out of their “confession” of Christ’s gospel. In other words, their generosity would be proof of their confession of faith. It would be evidence of what they really believed.
The word “generosity” in the Greek is rich with meaning. It includes the idea of living a life of simplicity in order to give more. One Bible commentator translates it as “unworldly simplicity.”
Do you want to go with the flow of the world? Or do you want to “overflow” with the radical generosity of Christ? How you and your family answer this question will reveal a lot about what you really believe.