“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. ..God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7-8)
Military leaders have often decried the waste of munitions and money due to the lack of precision in warfare. For instance, Civil War historian Burke Davis notes, “Firing on both sides was so inaccurate that soldiers estimated it took a man’s weight in lead to kill a single enemy in battle. A Federal expert said that each Confederate that was shot required 240 pounds of powder and 900 pounds of lead” (The Civil War: Strange and Fascinating Facts).
Yet even with modern weaponry, accuracy in “killing” has not improved much. In an article on the Army Sniper School, journalist Rod Powers, notes that in the Vietnam War the average U.S. Soldier, armed with an M-16, expended 50,000 rounds to kill one enemy. (Rod Powers, “Army Sniper School: One Shot One Kill,” http://usmilitary.about.com/ od/armytrng/a/sniperschool.htm).
But in the “business of blessing” things are quite the opposite. There is no such waste when we give to God’s Kingdom. The seeds of gifts and good works that we sow are not scattered to the wind and lost. Every one of them will count. No good work, gift, or kind deed escapes God’s notice. When we live for the Lord, He rewards every good deed. He answers every prayer. And He blesses and multiplies every dime that’s given to the cause of the Gospel. Nothing we do for the Lord is a wasted effort. He blesses, multiplies, and uses all of them.
The job of killing is a wasteful affair, in money, effort, and materiel. But when we give our time, our money, and our energy to the Lord and His people they are never a waste. They are the wisest investment in the universe. “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose,” said Jim Elliott. He was a missionary who perished at the hands of Ecuadorian Indians to whom he sought to bring the Gospel. Indeed, our Lord said, “If anyone gives so much as a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is My disciple, I tell you the truth, he will most certainly never lose his reward” (Matthew 10:42).
Whatever treasure we store up here on earth will be lost. Whatever treasure we store up in heaven will be eternal. Therefore, let’s lay up for ourselves treasure in heaven by giving generously to God’s Kingdom and to those in need (Matthew 6:19-21). If we sow sparingly, we’ll reap sparingly. But if we sow abundantly, we’ll reap abundantly.
REFLECTION
- During the Vietnam War it cost $660,000 (in 1970) to kill one enemy soldier ($4,377,535 in today’s dollars). Isn’t giving to God a wiser investment?
- Why does God love generous givers? Could it be that God Himself is one?
- Let’s give to the Lord what we cannot keep, to gain what we cannot lose.