2 Corinthians 9:6-15 • Generosity

 

2 Corinthians 9:6-15

Having what it takes

God has given you everything you need to be generous in the ways he wants you to be generous. Paul says that to the one who loves to be generous, God will be generous to them. How? By giving them all they need to keep being generous to whoever God wants, whenever he wants, however he wants. This is a sweet truth, but also one that’s hard to believe in normal, everyday life.

  • Does it always seem like you have what you need to be generous? Why or why not?

    • Who do you want to be generous to? How? What are you waiting for? (You can pray for that!)

  • Also, what has God already given you that you can be generous with? (Maybe it’s money, time, a listening ear, a lawn mower, baby clothes, cooking skills, etc.) Who might need what you have to offer?

  • Read Acts 3:1-10. What do we all have to offer folks, no matter what’s in our pockets, what someone might be expecting, or what seems to be the most surface-level need?

Knowing what it’s about

The picture Paul paints of generosity is something more than a mere transaction. It comes from a person who’s been spiritually affected by the generosity of Jesus, and it flows out of them in order to spiritually affect others with that same generosity.

  • Consider some recent times when you’ve been generous. Have you always been cheerful about it? Why or why not?

    • First, how is God honored in our generosity even when it’s hard for us?

    • Second, how can God’s promise of provision for our generosity help us let go of scarcity, stinginess, or need for certainty (“Is this the right decision?”; “How will they use it?”; “Will this be enough?”; etc.)? In fact, how can it help us be cheerful givers?

  • Thinking of some real examples, consider what you hoped being generous would have done to / for / in others. Did that happen?

    • What result(s) of generosity was Paul most excited about? Were they material in nature?

    • How might letting Scripture redefine the point of generosity empower you to be generous more often, more cheerfully, and with a bigger goal in mind?

 
HabitsScott O'Donohoe