abundant joy + extreme poverty = wealth of generosity
This is an equation that I have been trying to work out in my head for the better part of two weeks. At first glance, it can be hard to make sense of! As I sought to understand this formula better, I began by breaking down each phrase. Luke 15:11 gives us beautiful insight into what abundant joy is all about. Jesus says:
"I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete."
Joy is only to be found in Jesus. John Piper explains joy this way: "Christian joy is a good feeling in the soul, produced by the Holy Spirit, as he causes us to see the beauty of Christ in the word and in the world." Abundant means having something in large quantities; plentiful. So, a working definition of abundant joy might be: Large quantities of a good feeling produced by the Holy Spirit, not contingent on a circumstance because it is fixed on a person, Jesus Christ. Extreme poverty does not take much of an explanation. It means that the situation/person has hit the highest degree of being poor. And, of course, a wealth of generosity is the exact opposite of that extreme poverty. It is an abundance of supplies or riches...in this case, of being kind and generous in what is given.
As you probably know, this is not a made-up equation. It comes right out of the pages of Scripture in 2 Corinthians 8:1-2:
"We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that was given to the churches in Macedonia: During a severe trial brought about by affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part."
How was it possible that joy in the Lord + the extreme poverty they faced = generous giving out of what they didn't even have themselves to give, but gave anyway? Humanly, this doesn't make sense. And that is the point. This mysterious, beautiful equation can only be solved by grace! God gave grace to the churches in Macedonia to enable them to accomplish what is humanly impossible! He received the glory and they received the joy!
I don't know about you, but I very much want my life to be marked by a wealth of generosity. Generosity with my resources, with my time, with my energy...with my life! In fact, a Bible verse that both Bryan and I hold close when it comes to serving others is 1 Thessalonians 2:8:
"We cared so much for you that we were pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us."
But achieving that kind of generous life comes from understanding the first part of the equation. Our hearts must be overflowing with joy. Our hearts must be fixed on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith; the One who lived the perfect life we could not live, to die the death we deserved, to appease the Father's wrath and give us access into His presence as adopted sons and daughters forever! That truth makes the heart sing. That truth fills us with joy. Yet, there is another part of that equation. It involves extreme poverty. While none of us might be considered extremely impoverished financially, apart from Jesus we are all in extreme spiritual poverty. In fact, apart from Jesus, we can do nothing. And, even when we are given new birth and are new creations in Christ, our flesh still hangs around...leaving us deficient in many ways. Maybe your poverty is related to an ongoing health issue, or a painful trial that lingers. Maybe you feel inadequate as a parent, husband, or wife. In many ways, that is exactly where God wants us to be so that He can display His amazing grace!
"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in your weakness."
2 Corinthians 12:9
We dare not minimize the grace of God! This marvelous grace sought us, saved us, and sanctifies us through means and in ways that seem impossible to our human understanding and logic. How could poverty, no matter what it is paired with, ever result in wealth? The grace of God! How can joy be present when extreme poverty exists? The grace of God! May we proclaim this grace, walk in this grace and live joyful, generous lives because of His grace!
"And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8
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