Edifier du Jour: 2 Corinthians 9:6-9(NASB)

⁶ Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. ⁷ Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; ⁹ as it is written,

“He scattered abroad, he gave to the poor,
His righteousness endures forever.”

This passage is in the context of Paul prepping the Corinthians to have ready a promised gift to the Macedonian church. Thus, this passage is often cited to coax donations out of the congregation.

The footnote for "bountifully" in the NASB was "lit. 'with blessings' ". That changes the application a bit. Paul's asking the Corinthians to sow blessings. Not all blessings are financial in nature. One can bless people with love, attention, a kind word, et cetera, without getting out your wallet or checkbook.

Yesterday's passage had Solomon advocating for kind words to cheer other people's hearts. A kind word might mean more than a $5 bill. In a contentious era where money is tight, we must not be miserly with our affections towards our family or our fellow man.

We also need to be ready to give financially when the Spirit asks us to, but we're not to forget those other acts of kindness. "Random acts of kindness" was a cliché phrase a while back, but we need to be deliberate in those "random acts" and to do so in large quantities.