Knowing the Desirous Will of God - Giving Ourselves to the Lord and to Other Believers
2 Corinthians 8:5 And not just as we hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and us through the desirous will of God.
The Macedonian saints are a good example of living out this aspect of God’s desirous will for our lives. Their first priority was to give themselves to the Lord. Their focus was not on earthly things and what they wish they had but they were content with what God provided them and helped within their means. We do not need to be wealthy or have many things to do mighty works for God. We need to be satisfied with what God has given to us and look for the opportunities within our means to do good. The Macedonian saints were very poor yet were able to provide a substantial amount to assist the saints in Jerusalem. They did not do this by compulsion, grief, or out of necessity; rather, they gave properly, as cheerful givers, sharing what they had with others as God gave them opportunity.
This week, let us focus on first giving ourselves to the Lord and then, within the means He gives us, caring for other saints. As we concentrate on giving ourselves to the Lord, we should start to seek the desires of the Spirit while rejecting the desires from the flesh. From this type of mindset, we are then ready to do the good works God has prepared for us to do, even if it just a smile to warm another’s heart.
Knowing the Desirous Will of God - Giving Ourselves to the Lord and to Other Believers
2 Corinthians 8:5 And not just as we hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and us through the desirous will of God.
The Macedonian saints are a good example of living out this aspect of God’s desirous will for our lives. Their first priority was to give themselves to the Lord. Their focus was not on earthly things and what they wish they had but they were content with what God provided them and helped within their means. We do not need to be wealthy or have many things to do mighty works for God. We need to be satisfied with what God has given to us and look for the opportunities within our means to do good. The Macedonian saints were very poor yet were able to provide a substantial amount to assist the saints in Jerusalem. They did not do this by compulsion, grief, or out of necessity; rather, they gave properly, as cheerful givers, sharing what they had with others as God gave them opportunity.
This week, let us focus on first giving ourselves to the Lord and then, within the means He gives us, caring for other saints. As we concentrate on giving ourselves to the Lord, we should start to seek the desires of the Spirit while rejecting the desires from the flesh. From this type of mindset, we are then ready to do the good works God has prepared for us to do, even if it just a smile to warm another’s heart.