Surely Not Every Good Cause!

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Galatians 6:9 Good News Translation

⁹ So let us not become tired of doing good; for if we do not give up, the time will come when we will reap the harvest.

 

The last blog I posted used the text 2 Corinthians 8:9 “And God is able to give you more than you need, so that you will always have all you need for yourselves and more than enough for every good cause.”

My brother responded with “I'm afraid that every good cause would easily bankrupt me.”

To which I concurred: “I couldn't help thinking that, when I read this verse and thought about its ramifications!”

Practically every day my mail brings me a request for handout for some good (and not so good) cause. My email, my phone, my pastor, my social media connections, my politicians, the pan handler on the street corner, all stand there with a hand stretched out for my help.

In this age others often appear to expect that we are infinite. When I first started teaching, there was one method of getting a message to me, other than in person—in my mail. Even at that time, much of it was junk mail. During my tenure as a teacher, I got a desk phone, then a phone answering machine. Then along came email, text messaging, electronic calendars, a mobile phone, and the list grew. I was told by a host of messaging agents—some people, some simply robotic machines—that they had left me a message, hadn’t I seen it?!

At this point, as mathematicians say, I need to exercise the axiom of choice. To abuse Set Theory, where there is an unlimited number of choices, I can always make a choice. It is up to me to decide which choice I wish to make.

When Paul wrote Galatians 6:9 he must have been thinking about the number of “good causes” that present themselves to a Christian every day. He encourages us to not become weary in well doing. Even though I have an infinite God with me, He knows that I am not infinite—He didn’t make me infinite, and He doesn’t expect me to be infinite. But He assures me that if I don’t give up, there is a reward awaiting me.

Now, think of God continually receiving requests, often contradictory, from the entire universe!

Whew, Lord! You assure us that You don’t get weary and are infinitely able to easily handle all our requests. Thank You!

 

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[1] https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-nJv0EQrLbM/maxresdefault.jpg

Enough for Every Good Cause

 

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2 Corinthians 9:8 Good News Translation

⁸ And God is able to give you more than you need, so that you will always have all you need for yourselves and more than enough for every good cause.

 

For many years we lived like the poor. During our graduate study years, we had to borrow against future service just to pay the rent and eat. A bit later we went on food stamps for a while. In Africa, we were often living hand to mouth. For five years we couldn’t afford a car. At Atlantic Union College I took on a moonlighting job to enable us to buy a house—the cheapest we found on the market. During this time, we paid a full tithe, and never went hungry or naked or homeless.

Since then, God has increased our allowance steadily. When our last child finished college, we were able to channel that tuition amount into a retirement savings account. When we paid off our house, we were able to channel the house payment into the retirement account. In this fashion, although we had been unable to save for retirement initially, when we retired, we had a nest egg that has seen us through the first ten years of retirement without embarrassment.

Since retirement we have stepped out in faith at the Spirit’s urging and supported Bible translation in an ever-increasing amount. We have not shirked our tithing responsibility. Last year our charitable donations totaled over 50% of our adjusted gross income. Never before, even in our wildest imaginings, did we ever think God would make us capable of achieving this goal.

This year we have expected that Satan would redouble his efforts to stop our giving. In January we totaled our car and bought a newer one; inflation is making our retirement savings stretch over fewer of our needs. In spite of this we are relying on God’s promises, like this one in 2 Corinthians 9:8, and God’s amazing grace to meet our needs.

We are grateful, Lord, for Your promise to give us “enough for every good cause.”

 

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[1] https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2017/may/together-for-gospels-bible-translation-unity-illuminations.html