They were filled with abundant joy and overflowed with rich generosity
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Paul called for generosity and took the churches in Macedonia as good role models . What is the generosity of Macedonian brothers and sisters like?
Macedonian churches's generosity came from the roots of their kindness and the kindness of the God. Paul said the generosity of Macedonian churches is what the God had done through them in his kindness. The kindness are deep in their hearts, out of which they give with their free will.
The generosity of the Macedonian churches is the overflow of their abundant joy. Although they are being tested by many troubles and very poor, they are filled with abundant joy. I have never seen an unhappy people giving generously, instead I always see people gives joyfully and harvest great joy.
The bothers and sisters of Macedonian churches not only gave , but they gave with great eagerness and generosity. They begged Paul again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift to their brothers and sisters in Jerusalem who were in need. The gave more than they could afford, they gave more than Paul could hope , they gave themselves to the Lord!
Take the Macedonian bothers and sisters as good examples and give generously! May the Lord fill your lives with all the blessings and overflow!
Bible verses,
Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity.
For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do. 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 NLT
