“But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.”
2 Corinthians 8:7
Paul talks about it often. James brings the point to a head in his letter. Jesus talked about it as well. As Christians, we’ve got to put our money where our mouth is. We’ve got to let our actions match our words. Faith without works is dead. And saying you’re a Christian without allowing your love to flow through your checkbook is being a hypocrite.
If you say that you’re a Christian, then your checkbook needs to reflect that fact. Paul wasn’t trying to shame the Corinthians into giving more, but he was testing them to see if their faith was true. How often do we need to be tested likewise? What does God have to do to allow us to see that maybe our faith is only on the surface?
There are times of trouble and catastrophe coming. Those times are coming with more frequency every day. As Christians, we need to be in the forefront of the giving. Where there is a need, we need to meet that need. Where there is an opportunity for assistance, we need to volunteer. We need to show that we excel in this grace of giving.