Mikel did a great job this weekend of wrapping up our series, The Greatest Commandment. He challenged us to really love God with all of our strength. He said that loving God with our heart, soul and mind were actually internal activities, but loving Him with all our strength is where the rubber meets the road.
Loving God with all our strength is when we actually show the world...it’s when we prove our love for God.
WIth that fresh on my brain, I came to God’s Word this morning. So when I’m reading (as a part of our reading plan this year) 2 Corinthians 8, this verse really jumped out at me.
Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it. -2 Cor. 8:24 (NIV)
I underlined it so you don’t miss it. But what he’s talking about here is important to catch. He’s talking about them taking up an offering. He’s talking about them proving their love by not just being generous, but excelling at it.
But just as you excel in everything–in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us–see that you also excel in this grace of giving. 8 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. -2 Cor. 8:7-8 (NIV)
He challenges them to excel in this grace of giving, and then he uses that “love thing” again. The sincerity of their love is being revealed by their generosity.
A wise man said, “You can give without loving, but you can’t love without giving.” I don’t know who said it first, but you can bet they read 2 Corinthians 8!