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You Will Be Made Rich

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: “He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” Now 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. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.(II Corinthians 9:8-12) 

          I'm reminded of the story from Mark in which the widow threw two mites into the treasury. Jesus commended her faith because it was all she had to live on. People often talk about  their talents. In Israel, a talent was a lot of money. It was the value of 75 pounds of whatever metal was involved. A mite was worth about one eighth to one quarter of a penny.  In today's money, that would be the equivalent of $1,440,000 versus $0.00125 to $0.0025.
          I tend to think that because I don't have millions of dollars, or the equivalent in time or talent, I must be excused from the expectation of giving or doing good works. That doesn't mean I don't want to give or to do, but I want God to give me above and beyond what I have so that I feel free to give our of my abundance. I have this notion that the treasure, time and talent should arrive and then I will be able to spend part of it on these good works. I also tend to think that the benefit of giving and doing good works is that I get to spend part of what I'm given on me. After all, He's making His grace abound to ME. 
        I'm also reminded of a verse: Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4). Some people have the same idea here. If we delight ourselves in the Lord, He'll give us all this stuff that we want. That's not what this verse says. If I delight in the Lord, then HE is the desire of my heart. If I delight myself in the Lord, He will give me Himself. That's worth more than a ton of time, talent or treasure. We get this all so backwards.  
         In James, it says that we have not because we ask not and because we ask with wrong motives. Perhaps it's time to start asking for what will allow us to do the most good - not the most good for us, but the most good for others, and then move out on the faith that God will make the grace abound. Scary. Definitely something I need to pray about.

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