2 Corinthians 9:6-11 6Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.” 10Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
Galatians 6:7-9 7Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
In my early days of life with Jesus I, of course, was floundering a lot, and one of the ways I did that was in the area of tithing. I had an attitude that whenever a congregation I was part of starting having messages about tithing it was a sign they were going downhill. My attitude was showing in those thoughts because I thought tithing was all about money. No, giving is a part of the Christian life that reaches deeper than the money we put into an offering plate or send to a charitable cause. It reveals something about our hearts, our trust in God, and our concern for other people. Generous giving is not simply about how much we have. It is about how willing we are to share what God has placed in our hands.
God provides what we need so that we can continue doing good works and helping others. In Galatians 6:7–9, he reminds us that our choices have consequences. Just as a farmer expects to harvest what he plants, we should understand that the things we do with our lives produce results. This teaches us that generosity is not wasted effort. God sees what we do, knows why we do it, and can use our giving to meet needs and accomplish His purposes. However, we must understand generosity as more than a way to receive something from God. We give because we belong to Him, because He has been generous toward us, and because we want His goodness to reach others through our lives.
Sow and reap
“Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,
and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Corinthians 9:6).
Anyone who has planted a garden understands this principle. If a person plants only a few seeds, the harvest will probably be small. But if that person prepares the ground, plants plenty of seeds, and takes care of the garden, there is a better opportunity for a larger harvest. A farmer cannot expect a field full of crops without first planting the seed. Paul uses this familiar picture to explain how our actions matter in the Christian life. When we give generously, serve others, encourage people, and share what we have, we are planting seeds that can produce good results.
For example, imagine a family in your neighborhood that is struggling to pay its bills. You know that they have been trying to manage their expenses, but an unexpected problem has left them short of money for groceries. You could decide that their situation is not your responsibility. Or you could purchase some groceries and deliver them to the family. Your gift might seem small compared with the difficulties they face. Yet it could relieve their immediate worry and remind them that someone cares. Perhaps they will be encouraged to help another person when their own circumstances improve. Your generosity may produce results that extend beyond what you can see.
This does not mean that every generous act will result in financial gain for the person who gives. Paul is not offering a formula in which giving a certain amount guarantees a larger income. The harvest God produces may include changed lives, stronger relationships, opportunities to serve, and the growth of Christian character. Galatians 6:8 explains that sowing to please the Spirit leads toward eternal life, while sowing to please our sinful nature leads toward destruction. Our daily choices are planting something. We should ask ourselves what kind of harvest our habits are likely to produce.
If we continually put our own comfort first, we may become increasingly selfish. If we practice kindness and generosity, we learn to look beyond ourselves.
Each should decide
When I was all up in arms about tithing messages, I was revealing how prideful and self-absorbed I was in my heart. God is not interested merely in the amount we give. He is also concerned about our attitude. We can give money because someone pressures us, because we are embarrassed to refuse, or because we want other people to think well of us. Televangelists are very good at manipulating people to give, and I remember a time I gave to a traveling ministry not because it was for a good cause, but because everyone else was giving. Although the gift might help someone, those reasons are different from giving freely out of love for God and others. Paul teaches that giving should be a personal decision made in the heart. We should consider what we have, what responsibilities we must meet, and how we can help others. Then we can decide prayerfully what to give.
Consider a person who hears about a family that has lost its home in a fire. The person wants to help but has limited income and several financial responsibilities. Instead of feeling guilty because the gift cannot be large, the person decides to contribute what is affordable. Another person may have greater financial resources and be able to provide considerably more. Both gifts can be pleasing to God when they are given sincerely and according to what each person can reasonably offer.
Generosity should not be confused with irresponsible giving. Christians still need to provide for their families, meet their obligations, and make wise financial decisions. Giving should not be driven by manipulation or by promises that God will make us wealthy if we contribute a certain amount.
God loves a cheerful giver. This does not mean we must always feel excited when we give. Sometimes helping others requires sacrifice, and sacrifice can be uncomfortable. Rather, we should give willingly, knowing that we are serving God and helping meet a genuine need. A cheerful giver understands that what God has entrusted to us is not meant only for our personal enjoyment. We can enjoy His gifts while also using them to bless other people.
God will bless
God does not bless us simply so that we can accumulate more possessions or enjoy a comfortable life without concern for others. His provision also enables us to serve. God supplies seed to the sower and bread for food. The picture reminds us that God provides both what we need for ourselves and what we can use to help others.
Imagine someone who regularly sets aside a modest amount of money to help people in need. Over time, that person learns to manage money carefully, distinguish between wants and needs, and recognize opportunities to serve. When an unexpected need arises, the person may already have resources available to help. That is one practical way generosity can become a regular part of life rather than an occasional response to an emotional appeal.
God's blessings, however, do not always come in the form of increased money. Sometimes He provides through the help of other people, the strength to endure hardship, wisdom to make better decisions, or opportunities to use our abilities for someone else's benefit. We should also remember that faithful Christians can experience financial difficulties. Paul is not promising that generous believers will never lack necessities or face suffering. His teaching is that God is able to provide what His people need to continue doing His work.
Think about the person who receives food when there is nothing left in the kitchen. That person may thank the individual who brought the food, but the experience may also deepen gratitude toward God. The giver becomes a means through which God's care is expressed.
This is an important purpose of Christian generosity: our giving can help people recognize God's goodness.
God cannot be mocked
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
Paul is warning believers not to think they can ignore God's principles and expect good results. Our actions have consequences, even when those consequences are not immediately visible. A farmer cannot plant weeds and expect to harvest wheat. In the same way, we cannot continually practice selfishness, dishonesty, and indifference toward others while expecting those habits to produce a life characterized by love and faithfulness.
This principle applies to generosity, too. If we consistently close our hearts to the needs around us, we develop habits that make it easier to ignore people who are suffering. We may become so focused on our own interests that we no longer notice opportunities to help. On the other hand, when we regularly choose to share, serve, and encourage others, generosity becomes part of our character.
Imagine a person who sees an elderly neighbor struggling to carry groceries into the house. The person could walk past without getting involved. Instead, the person stops and offers help. The next time a similar opportunity appears, helping may come more naturally because the habit of caring has already begun to develop. The point is that our choices shape the kind of people we become.
Paul also warns us not to grow weary in doing good. Galatians 6:9 promises that we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Sometimes we help people without seeing any obvious improvement in their circumstances. We may give faithfully without receiving thanks or see little evidence that our efforts matter. That can be discouraging. Nevertheless, God calls us to remain faithful rather than measure every act of generosity by its immediate results.
We are not responsible for controlling every outcome. But we are responsible for obeying God, loving our neighbors, and doing the good that is within our reach. The harvest may take time, and some of its results may remain unseen until eternity. But our labor is not meaningless when it is offered to God in faith.
What about me?
When I was griping about tithing message, my faith was dangerously weak. Giving generously is a practical expression of our faith. Second Corinthians 9:6–11 teaches us to give willingly, trust God's provision, and use what we have to help others. Galatians 6:7–9 reminds us that our choices matter and encourages us to continue doing good even when the results take time to appear. I have often felt the Prosperity Gospel was a manipulation of God into making us wealthy. We should remember how good God has been to us and give so that we reflect that goodness. Generosity includes money, but it reaches much further. We can give our time to someone who is lonely, share our abilities with someone who needs help, offer encouragement to someone who is discouraged, or forgive someone who has wronged us.
The important question is not simply how much we possess, but how faithfully we use what God has entrusted to us. When we sow generously, we make room for good things to grow. When we decide in our hearts to give willingly, our actions become expressions of love rather than obligation. When God blesses us, we can use those blessings to serve others. And when we continue doing good without giving up, we demonstrate that we trust God's purposes even when we cannot see the final harvest.
Our goal should be to live in such a way that God's goodness reaches others through us. We may never know the full effect of a generous act, but we can trust that God sees our faithfulness and can use even our smallest gifts to accomplish something worthwhile.