A World of Need

This morning I read 2 Corinthians 8 and about half the way through I stopped. So much of 2 Corinthians seems to be about a conversation Paul is having with the Corinthian church about our connection through Christ and that whether we are close to one another or not we are all connected. In this particular passage Paul is encouraging the Corinthians to be exceedingly generous and he says, ¹³Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. ¹⁴At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality... (2 Corinthians 8:13-14)(NIV).

This passage struck me in two ways this morning. The first being that of gratitude for all those who have taken from their plenty and their little to help make our life in Brazil possible. For surely we have been people in need and you as our family in the body of Christ have answered our needs with gladness and love. What a gift it has been to have the conformation from our family for the Lord's calling to ministry in our life.

I was also struck though, by how difficult it is to allow ourselves to need something. And not only to admit our need but to allow ourselves to reach a point in which we have a need. It seems so many of our efforts are aimed at insuring that we never have a need and that we never have to rely on someone else for help. We are told to grow up and become responsible, quite asking your parents for help, save, save, save, put away for retirement, put away for a rainy day, etc... Believe me I am all for these things. I think we are called to be prepared for the future and to work hard to responsible with our money. What strikes me this morning is how these good tasks can become our excuses for not risking generosity that might someday put us in need. Being in need and seeing the family of God respond is not such a bad thing. Nor is releasing our position of power in order that we might have equality among ourselves.

Lately God has worked on my heart with this issue in Brazil. If there are countries in which a great chasm exist between those with and those without Brazil would make that list. It is striking how much those with money have and how much those without lack. Pray for us as we seek to share the gifts of God in our lives with those with less in such a way that hope is given, love is shown, and humility is shared so there may be equality among us all.