Giving Away More and More

A New Year's Message from our General Superintendent

My good friend C.W. Perry loved to say that "God blesses the church that gets outside itself." He lived that powerful Biblical principle, for he was a generous man and - for almost 40 years - he pastored a generous church in Yorba Linda, California. C.W. went home to be with the Lord over a year ago, but he left a legacy of unselfishness and encouragement to so many.

God's word is penetratingly clear on this point: The Lord loves generous people, "cheerful givers." (2 Cor. 9: 7c)

Consider this amazing promise from 2 Corinthians 9: 10:

"For God who gives seed to the farmer to plant, and later on good crops to harvest and eat, will give you more and more seed to plant and will make it grow so that you can give away more and more fruit from your harvest."

In this new year of 2002, let's urgently plead with the Lord for the privilege of giving (see 2 Cor. 8: 4). Let's give generously to one another and to our world by extending forgiveness, acceptance, encouragement and radical, unselfish love. Generosity isn't mainly about money, though it does transform our material giving. It is primarily about an inner gratitude that wants to give back and bless.

It's about first giving ourselves to the Lord and then to people. (see 2 Cor. 8: 5)

Generosity does not make our problems disappear. But generous people and generous hearts are:

Consistent with God's call (2 Cor. 8: 7d), let's make this a year to " ... excel in this grace of giving."

Dr. John P. Wiliams, Jr.