"they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord's people."
2 Corinthians 8:4 (NIV)
Something was backwards here. Paul was asking the Macedonians to give money to help others. Usually in fundraising, the leader has to beg and persuade people. Usually people need convincing, reminders, guilt trips, or emotional manipulation to open wallets. But with the Macedonians, everything flipped completely around in an unexpected way. They urgently pleaded with Paul for the privilege of giving. They begged him to let them participate in this generous service. They saw giving not as a burden but as a blessing. Not as an obligation but as an opportunity they desperately wanted.
The word "urgently" shows how they felt about giving. This wasn't casual interest or polite willingness to help if convenient. The Greek word suggests intense pleading, passionate begging, earnest requesting with emotion. They approached Paul with the kind of urgency you'd expect from someone asking for help. But they weren't asking to receive, they were begging to give. They treated generosity like a privilege someone might deny them unfairly. They acted like giving was an honor they might miss out on. This kind of eagerness for generosity seems almost foreign to us today.
What changed their hearts from reluctance to eagerness? Remember what we learned in the previous devotional about the Macedonians. They gave themselves first to the Lord before giving their money. That's the secret to their urgent desire to participate in generosity. When your heart fully belongs to God, giving stops feeling like loss. When you've surrendered yourself completely to Him, sharing resources feels like joy. When you know you're rich in Christ, opening your wallet becomes worship. Their eagerness to give was the natural overflow of surrendered hearts. It is the season to be generous, and they understood something crucial about it.
Here's a diagnostic question for your heart right now this Christmas. When you think about generous giving this season, what's your first feeling? Is it stress about your budget or joy about blessing others? Is it resentment about expectations or eagerness to participate in God's work? Is it fear about not having enough or faith in God's provision? Your gut reaction reveals what you truly believe about generosity and God. The Macedonians begged to give because they saw it as privilege. We often need begging to give because we see it as penalty. The difference isn't in their bank accounts but in their hearts.
The Macedonians called giving "a privilege" and "a service." These words matter more than we might realize at first glance. A privilege is something you're honored to do, not forced to do. A service is something you offer gladly, not grudgingly under pressure. They understood that generous giving serves both God and His people. They recognized that participation in Christ's work through giving is an honor. They knew that using their resources to help others was blessing them. When you see giving this way, you don't need convincing or manipulation. When you understand generosity as privilege, you become eager and urgent about it.
Godseekers, ask God to change how you see generous giving this season. Stop viewing it as burden, obligation, or something people pressure you into. Start seeing it as the privilege it truly is in reality. You get to participate in God's work through your giving and generosity. You get to be His hands and feet blessing others in need. You get to reflect His generous heart to a world watching. You get to experience the joy that comes only from sacrificial love. When your perspective shifts from obligation to privilege, everything changes completely. When you see giving as honor, urgency and eagerness follow naturally.
Prayer
Dear Lord, change our hearts about generosity starting right now today. We confess that we often see giving as burden instead of blessing. We treat it like obligation instead of the privilege it truly is. Forgive us for our reluctance when You've been so generous to us. Forgive us for needing persuasion when we should be eagerly begging. Give us the same heart the Macedonians had toward generous giving. Help us see that using our resources for Your kingdom is honor. Help us understand that blessing others through giving serves You and them. Make us urgent and eager to give, not reluctant and hesitant. Fill our hearts with joy at the privilege of generosity. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Personal Reflection
- When you think about generous giving this Christmas, is your first feeling reluctance or eagerness, and what does that reveal?
- How would your Christmas generosity change if you truly saw giving as a privilege rather than an obligation?
Step of Faith
Today, I will pray and ask God to show me one specific opportunity for generous giving that I can eagerly pursue.
