Mark Buchanan: Give yourself first to the Lord and then to others; be generous with time.

“The taproot of generosity is spiritual. The apostle Paul, when he explains to the Corinthians about the astounding generosity of the Macedonians remarks, “They gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us.” 2 Cor. 8:5, emphasis mine). True generosity always moves in that sequence: first God, then others. First the Spirit, then the flesh. And it always starts with giving, not something, but ourselves…Try this for a week, giving yourself first to God and then to others. Be generous with time. See if your world isn’t larger by this time next week.”

Mark Buchanan in The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2006) 84.

“Nobody is so poor that he or she has nothing to give, and nobody is so rich that he or she has nothing to receive.”

Pope John Paul II (1920-2005) in Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith by Henri Nouwen, reading for April 2 (San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1997).

“Receiving is often harder than giving. Giving is very important: giving insight, giving hope, giving courage, giving advice, giving support, giving money, and most of all, giving ourselves. Without giving there is no brother hood and sisterhood.

But receiving is just as important, because by receiving we reveal to the givers that they have gifts to offer. When we say, “Thank you, you gave me hope; thank you, you gave me a reason to live; thank you, you allowed me to realize my dream,” we make givers aware of their unique and precious gifts. Sometimes it is only in the eyes of the receivers that givers discover their gifts.”

Henri Nouwen (1932-1996) in Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith, reading for April 3 (San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1997).

“First, there is the compassion stage, where interaction with the poor is about feeding, clothing and helping them with resources of money, time and talents. This is done through missions trips, service projects and by developing charitable organizations that do this work.

The second stage represents those who address the causes of poverty and fixing what can be fixed. These people have moved beyond trying to alleviate poverty’s impact to go after what gives birth to poverty in the first place. They are concerned with the structural and systemic forces at work that keep people in poverty. They advocate for the poor and try to change their plight by studying justice issues, taking on a cause, fighting for legislative reform, and marching and organizing on behalf of the poor.

Those at the the third stage are less concerned about activity with or on behalf of the poor, and more concerned with the inward journey, realizing that all the charity and structural work have come from a distance and from the perspective of the poor’s deficits rather than their assets. They have come to a more humble assessment of the poor, not looking on them with condescending pity but with dignity.

The fourth stage represents those who see the poor as more like themselves than different. They realize that the poor have the resources of will and determination, and must be involved in discerning problems of poverty and providing possible solutions. They also see the poor with their faults and lose the romantic idealization of poverty.

When we are mentored by the poor, a profound humbling takes place. Befriending the poor–not as a project but as mutual learners–leads to being poor in spirit and cultivating relationships of mutuality. People who identify with the poor desire to become poor–not in a romantic sense of being poor just for the sake of being poor, but to simplify and live less for things and more for people.

This was the experience, for example, of Francis of Assisi and Mother Teresa, who are now seen as part of the poor themselves.”

Albert Nolan as recounted by Keith Meyer in Spiritual Rhythms in Community (Downers Grove: IVP, 2012) 148-149.

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Psalm 24:1

“In the total expanse of the human life, there is not a single square inch of which Christ, who alone is sovereign, does not declare, ‘That is mine’.”

Abraham Kuyper in Sovereiniteit in Eigen Kring (Amsterdam: J.H. Kruyt, 1880) 35.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8

“God can give us both the substance to give and the spirit in which to give it. In 2 Corinthians 9:8, Paul speaks of the all-sufficiency which God gives. The word he uses is autarkeia. It does not describe the sufficiency of the person who possesses all kinds of things in abundance. It describes the state of someone who has directed life not to amassing possessions but to eliminating needs. It describes someone who has learned to be content with very little. It’s obvious that people like that will be able to give far more to others because they want so little for themselves. It is so often true that we want so much for ourselves that there is nothing left to give others. Not only that, it is God alone who can put into our hearts the love which is the essence of the generous spirit.”

William Barclay in The Letters to the Corinthians (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002) 279.

“Gratitude is a loving and thankful response toward God for his presence with us and within this world. Though “blessings” can move us into gratitude, it is not at the root of a thankful heart. Delight in God and his good will is the heartbeat of thankfulness.”


Adele Ahlberg Calhoun in Spiritual Disciplines Handbook (Downers Grove: IVP, 2005) 29.

For I testify that [the Macedonians] gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. 2 Corinthians 8:3-4

“Paul used three key Greek words to describe Christian generosity. First, it is a Christian’s privilege. The Greek word translated “privilege” is charis, the word commonly translated “grace” (see 8:1). The opportunity to give out of one’s wealth is entirely a gift from God. Second, it is sharing of the Christian’s life. The Greek word here is koinonia, the word commonly translated “fellowship.” Just as the Corinthians were sharing in Paul’s ministry by praying for him, the Macedonians knew that by giving they could “share” their great joy for their salvation with other believers. In essence, this is “fellowship”: Christians sharing with each other their enthusiasm for Jesus, their Savior. Finally, Paul described the Macedonians’ giving as a service. The Greek word here is diakonias, the word from which the English word “deacon” is derived. Giving money is a way to serve others.”


Bruce Barton and Grant Osborne in Life Application Commentary: 1 & 2 Corinthians (Wheaton: Tyndale, 1999) 390-391.

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2

“If you give to a needy person, who’s got nothing, you reduce his load for him, which consisted of having nothing; if you give him something, he starts having something; his burden, that’s called not having anything, is reduced. And he in turn is reducing your burden, which is called having more than enough. The two of you are walking along God’s road in the journey through this world. You were carrying vast superfluous provisions, while he didn’t have any provisions at all. He has attached himself to you, desiring to be your companion; don’t ignore him, don’t turn him away, don’t leave him behind. Can’t you see how much you are carrying? Give some of it to him, since having nothing he’s carrying nothing, and you will be helping your companion, and he will be relieving you.”


Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, (354-430) Sermon 164.9, trans. Daniel Doyle and Edmund Hill (New York: New City Press).

Beware, he says, of all avarice; because a person’s life is not to be found in the abundance of what he possesses in it. Luke 12:15

“It’s not only the grabber of other people’s property who is avaricious, but the one who greedily looks after his own…Someone who stashes away vast quantities–how much does he take from it all to live on? When he’s taken that and somehow or other has set aside in his mind what’s enough to live on, let him consider who will have the rest that’s left over; or perhaps, while you are saving what to live on, you may be storing up what to die from.”


Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, (354-430) Sermon 107.4 trans. Daniel Doyle and Edmund Hill (New York: New City Press).