SEND US YOUR SEED MONEY!

Pastor Ray Stedman told the story of a man in Houston who received a letter from a Christian radio station seeking contributions. The station calculated that it needed $76 from each listener to stay on the air. The letter promised that God couldn’t be “out-given”—thus contributors could be assured that their $76 would come back to them three-fold. The man wrote back to the station suggesting that they send him the $76 first. That way the station would receive back three times the amount they needed to stay on the air!
Many people believe that giving is like a cosmic investment plan—give a certain amount and it will come back, with interest! At first glance, 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 seems to support this thinking. Yet a deeper look shows a much different principle.
In the ancient world, like now, no farmer would sow grudgingly or sparingly, knowing that a little seed in the ground meant little fruit at harvest. So, just as farmers sow generously, God’s people should also give generously. Paul followed this proverbial saying with a key principle.

God gives to us first so that we can be generous.

The order here is key.

We don’t give first so that we can receive a blessing.

This is where the radio station got it wrong.
Knowing that God gives first encourages us that there’s never a time when we can’t be generous. This also encourages us that when we receive a little extra, it’s not so that we can spend it all on ourselves. Instead, material blessings enable us to give even more to others.
Our generosity is a practical means of sharing the gospel, because others will see obedience linked with our verbal profession of Christ.

What comes back to us is a spiritual, not material, blessing—namely, others praying for us (v. 14). Ultimately, giving brings us right back to where it all begins—God’s indescribable gift of Christ.