Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. 2 They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. 3 For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. 4 They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. 5 They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do. - 2 Corinthians 8:1-5
In this passage, Paul was speaking to the Macedonian believers. He sent Titus to help them and teach them about charity and the importance of giving. It was a challenge for the Macedonian believers for they were living in poverty, but through Paul's teaching and the move of the Holy Spirit, they gave above and beyond their capacity with a cheerful heart. Why? Because they gave themselves first to the Lord and He allowed them to experience genuine joy of giving.
When we talk of worship, there is always “giving” or “offering” – offering ourselves, offering our wealth and resources as these are tangible worship to the Lord. If we truly are disciples of Christ, then we know in our hearts that giving is an expression of our love and affection for God – the true essence of worship. Sabi nga, “You can give without loving but you can never love without giving.”
Ang mga tunay na sumasamba sa Diyos ay yung nagsusuko ng lahat ng aspeto ng buhay nila sa Panginoon, at kasama dyan ang kanilang pananalapi. Because we know the Lord already, we do not give as the world gives anymore. Sa mundo, ang way of giving ay laging dapat may kapalit, dapat laging may profit or else, huwag nalang. Ang motivation ng pagbibigay is always the reward, the return. In the world, the return must always be bigger than what you give.
That’s completely the opposite in the Kingdom dahil kay Lord, we give because we love God. Madalas nga, when we give, we don’t get anything in return, but because we love God, we genuinely love people. So when we view God as our ultimate Source, we obey wholeheartedly, focusing on the eternal reward and not on the temporal things we receive here on earth.
So let’s do a heart check, kapatid. Tama ba ang puso natin when we give? Do we give grudgingly or under compulsion? Yung napilitan lang dahil nakakahiyang hindi magbigay? Or do we give with the right heart, willingly and cheerfully?
Ikaw lang makakasagot sa tanong na ‘yan. The Lord sees our hearts, kapatid. It’s what’s actually in our hearts that would determine if we truly are worshiping through our giving or not.50 20 20 20 20 Recent
In this passage, Paul was speaking to the Macedonian believers. He sent Titus to help them and teach them about charity and the importance of giving. It was a challenge for the Macedonian believers for they were living in poverty, but through Paul's teaching and the move of the Holy Spirit, they gave above and beyond their capacity with a cheerful heart. Why? Because they gave themselves first to the Lord and He allowed them to experience genuine joy of giving.
When we talk of worship, there is always “giving” or “offering” – offering ourselves, offering our wealth and resources as these are tangible worship to the Lord. If we truly are disciples of Christ, then we know in our hearts that giving is an expression of our love and affection for God – the true essence of worship. Sabi nga, “You can give without loving but you can never love without giving.”
Ang mga tunay na sumasamba sa Diyos ay yung nagsusuko ng lahat ng aspeto ng buhay nila sa Panginoon, at kasama dyan ang kanilang pananalapi. Because we know the Lord already, we do not give as the world gives anymore. Sa mundo, ang way of giving ay laging dapat may kapalit, dapat laging may profit or else, huwag nalang. Ang motivation ng pagbibigay is always the reward, the return. In the world, the return must always be bigger than what you give.
That’s completely the opposite in the Kingdom dahil kay Lord, we give because we love God. Madalas nga, when we give, we don’t get anything in return, but because we love God, we genuinely love people. So when we view God as our ultimate Source, we obey wholeheartedly, focusing on the eternal reward and not on the temporal things we receive here on earth.
So let’s do a heart check, kapatid. Tama ba ang puso natin when we give? Do we give grudgingly or under compulsion? Yung napilitan lang dahil nakakahiyang hindi magbigay? Or do we give with the right heart, willingly and cheerfully?
Ikaw lang makakasagot sa tanong na ‘yan. The Lord sees our hearts, kapatid. It’s what’s actually in our hearts that would determine if we truly are worshiping through our giving or not.
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