2 Corinthians 8:1-3, "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."

Think

"Intensity is all about generosity!" Paul chose the Macedonian churches as an example of generous giving, even though these churches were not known for their wealth, but their poverty. Despite their limitations, they stood out as examples of extravagant generosity! How could this be? These Macedonian believers excelled in generosity because they had a surplus of joy. They were intense! Extravagant generosity does not happen because you have an abundance of stuff to give, but rather because you have an abundance of joy to live. Joy is the ability to rise above your circumstances, good or bad, enabling you to see God for who he is: a powerful, kind, loving protector and provider. An abundance of joy intensifies that insight, resulting in a lifestyle that intensely reflects what is seen. The Macedonians were filled with an abundance of joy, an intensified insight of God, which overflowed in rich generosity. Their lives mirrored intensely what they saw: a God who loved the world by giving the ultimate gift, the son of God, Jesus. Intense generosity begets intense generosity.

Act

Are you known as a person filled with joy overflowing in generosity? If not, ask God to fill you with joy by revealing to you who he truly is. Pray the prayer below throughout today.

Pray

Dear God, fill me with abundant joy. Open my eyes to see you for who you really are. Let me grasp the depth of your generosity through the giving of your son, Jesus. May my generosity reflect what I see. In Jesus' name, Amen.