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•6因此，我们劝提多，既然在你们中间开始这慈善的事，就当把它办成。7既然你们在信心、口才、知识、万分的热忱，以及我们对你们的爱心上，都胜人一等，那么，当在这慈善的事上也要胜人一等。

当然，即使是这个世界上的非信徒也会有慷慨的行为。他们捐赠图书馆，建造医院。他们为很多有价值的慈善事业捐款。你知道英文里“慈善”（philanthropy）这个词的含义吗？它的意思是“为了人的爱。”那些不认识上帝的人也能看到在别人身上投入所带来的价值。

但这正是基督徒捐献和慈善捐献的不同之处。我们的动力不是出于对我们自己的爱，甚至也不是出于对人的爱。我们对神的爱激励我们回应他为我们所做的一切。用一个词来总结，那就是“恩典。”神对我们的不配得的爱，值得我们用爱来回应，一颗感恩的心，一颗慷慨的心。

甚至我们这种慷慨奉献的行为也是上帝恩典的一部分。如果上帝没有用他的恩典浇灌我们的心灵，我们根本就不可能慷慨。如果不是他先爱我们，并为我们舍己献上赎罪祭，我们根本无法爱他。如果不是上帝打开了我们心灵的钱囊，我们根本无法奉献。我们每一个慷慨的行为都反映了上帝对我们的慷慨。

所以当你慷慨奉献的时候，你是在展示上帝的恩典在你心中和生命中的奇妙工作。

祷告：主耶稣，我对你的奉献比起你对我的奉献是微不足道的！你把你自己赐给我们，你在十字架上把自己奉献，你的受苦、死亡和复活带给我生命和救恩。请赐给我一颗慷慨的心，持续不断地反映出出你在我生命中丰盛的恩典。阿们。

2 Corinthians 8:  6 So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7 But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. (NIV)

Certainly there is generosity even among the unbelievers of this world. They endow libraries. They build hospitals. They give to many worthwhile philanthropic ventures. Do you know what the word philanthropy means? It means “for the love of man.” Human beings who do not know God can see the value of investing in each other.

        But that is what makes Christian giving different from philanthropic giving. We are motivated, not by our love for ourselves or even our love for mankind. We are motivated by our love for God in response to what he has done for us. And that can be summed up in just one word, “grace.” God’s undeserved love for us deserves a loving response on our part, a grateful heart, a generous heart.

And even this act of generosity on our part is part of God’s grace as well. We could not be generous if God had not filled our hearts with his grace. We could not love him if he had not first loved us and gave himself as fragrant sacrifice for our sins. We could not give if God had not opened the purse strings of our hearts. Every act of generosity on our part is only a reflection of God’s generosity to us. 

So when you give generously, you are displaying the wonders of God’s grace working in your hearts and lives.

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, meager are my gifts compared to the enormous gift you have given to me, life and salvation through your suffering, death and resurrection! Give me a generous heart that continually reflects the abundance of your grace in my life.  Amen.