Verse 11 … “You will always be rich enough to be generous…” NEB

The birth of a baby is one of life’s most exciting moments. For a parent, or a grandparent, for a neighbor or a friend, the excitement surrounding the day of birth is continued in the celebration of birthdays. But some statisticians look at each new born baby only as a consumer—measuring how many tons of food this new mouth will require across 70 years, how much paper, how much water and air will be used, and consequently how much pollution will come from one more human being. From this point of view, the picture may be drawn concerning the burden that will be added to government services—the additional load that will be placed upon hospitals, schools, and police forces. Such calculations picture this newborn baby as a consumer, as a user, as one that is forever taking from the resources that human life demands!

But let me suggest that you look a newborn baby from what it has to give to the world. Every baby brings with it so much more than it takes. Even a helpless infant gives some response very early. Soon it will smile, and then as the personality unfolds, this new life brings songs to sing, friendships to share, the excitement of learning, and the enthusiasm of youth. Rather than looking upon each newborn baby as another mouth to feed, or another consumer to take from the resources of this earth, the birth of a baby is exciting because you can say to every one: “You have a lot to give.”

And this same motto may be just as true and just as inspiring for those who have lived for three-score years and ten, or more. One of the saddest moments in any life comes when a person decides that he has nothing more to give. They often say, “I have served my time. From now on, there is nothing I can do but wait for the visit of the Grim Reaper.” Some people seem to think that retirement years are a time to sit and have things done for you, but thank God a whole new philosophy of retirement is keeping people busy with new jobs and activities in which they learn to give themselves to others. And so for those who think you have lived your lives, it is just as true as for the newborn infant: “You have a lot to give.”

One Sunday afternoon some of our young people went with me to one of our homes for senior citizens. After they sang, I introduced this slogan, “You have a lot to give.” I asked the residents of this home to tell me what they could give to someone else, and we had a wonderful time as this theme unfolded. You would have no trouble guessing what the first suggestion was—love. Anybody, anywhere can give love. Then swiftly other words came form all parts of the room—kindness, a kind word, a smile, time. Do you ever give anyone else your precious time? Understanding, encouragement, confidence and experience came up, and then one older gentleman said, “Poetry.” I asked, “Do you know some poetry you would like to give us today?” And instantly he began reciting a rather lengthy romantic poem—and the words were new to me, but were very beautiful. From the moment of our first breath on earth—to the last breath we draw before death—it is true for every one of us: “You have a lot to give.”

The contrasting picture between those who seem to think in terms of getting and those who think in terms of giving is just as clear-cut in the spiritual realm as it is in every other dimension of life. Some come to church for what “they get out of it” and they are easily upset of someone in the choir sings off key—or the preacher makes a silly mistake—or even if someone took their parking space. Many people don’t get what they used to get out of coming to church, and so they don’t come with the enthusiasm or loyalty which once brought them to worship God. But other people have experienced some kind of spiritual awakening that brings them to church because of what they have to give. They come giving thanks to God—giving encouragement and friendship to everyone they see. And strangely enough, those who think of what they can give wind up getting more than anyone else.

One day the Upper Room called for the reading of the scripture lesson which you have heard read today—and we had been using a copy of the New English Bible—and one of the verses was translated so that it literally leaped out at me. The 11^th verse of the ninth chapter of II Corinthians was translated to read, “You will always be rich enough to be generous.” And so that text kept coming back to me until the slogan for the Every Member Canvass appeared, “You Have a Lot to Give.” And in my mind I have never seen a more perfect union between a text and a sermon title—they belong together. If your heart has been set afire by the love of Jesus Christ, you know that it is true, “You have a lot to give.” “You will always be rich enough to be generous.” Will you take an inventory today of what you have to give?

You have yourself—that is your most priceless gift. In the chapter preceding our scripture reading today, the 8th chapter of II Corinthians, we find Paul praising the liberality of the churches of Macedonia saying, “For they gave according to their means.” But the striking thing about their giving was that, “First they gave themselves to the Lord.” (8:5) Don’t downgrade yourself. Don’t sell yourself short. You have a lot to give—you have yourself. Two letters came to me during a single week that stirred my compassion deeply. In one I read the pathetic words: “I had no one to turn to.” And the other was telling about a family separation, and the writer feeling extreme isolation said, “I have no friends—nobody cares what happens to me. If I didn’t have my job, I would go crazy.”

But listen to this contrasting testimony of a generous man looking back over his life: “I have loved more than I have been loved, and I have trusted more than I have been trusted, but the balance remains with me.” You see, the reward of friendship is not so much what we get, but the reward of friendship is the capacity to love and trust other persons. There is no reason for anyone to be without friends. You can give yourself and demonstrate the old adage “the way to have a friend is to be one.” You may know that the reward of love is the increased capacity to love. You have a lot to give—you have yourself!

You have time to give. Everybody has 24 hours a day, everybody has 60 minutes in an hour. You have time, and you have enough time to give a generous portion of that time to God and to other people. For remember, you “will always be rich enough to be generous.” Generosity has nothing to do with how busy you think you are—it has to do only with your seizing the opportunities to give your time to some things you choose rather than letting your time be squandered by people and things that push you around. Life is one endless time of testing, and our time is filled with unplanned emergencies, accidents, illness, pressures and problems. But an even greater test may be found in the things we would call blessings. The days when we are free to do just about anything we choose, the days of good health, and the years of abundant prosperity. And even though you have lived for more than fourscore years, you still have plenty of time to do everything God wants you to do before you leave this earth. You have lots to give because you are living in God’s promise: “You will always be rich enough to be generous.” God has given you all the time you need to give your time to His business.

You have yourself, you have time, and you have money. Money is nothing more than a symbol, a medium of exchanging and representing other things of greater worth. In itself money is worthless—it is only a symbol. But we live in a money-oriented society, so that everyone handles at least a little bit of money. School children spend money in almost unbelievable amounts. And in comparison with people in many other countries, you can say to every person in America, “You have a lot to give.” But only a small minority, even within the church, has learned the joy of generous giving. Too many people still think about money with fear, and only in terms of getting. They are like people who say, “I don’t have any friends. I have no one to turn to. And as they seek the comfort and security of money they honestly cannot believe that they “will always be rich enough to be generous.”

Recently I talked with the family of one of the most generous men I ever knew. I first met him when he had just joined The United Methodist Church with his wife and had shocked a United Methodist congregation by making a pledge three times as much as anyone else in the church. He had been taught to tithe—and he offered his money to God without any concern for the fact that nobody else came near what he gave. This was more than 50 years ago, and as I recall his pledge was $50 a week in a small town church. This was just the beginning of his giving and he was free and generous in every relationship. And then business reverses reduced his ability to give—but not his spirit. From a prosperous business which lasted only a few years, he changed directions and lived the remainder of his life on a limited income. His enthusiasm and generosity was not reduced, for he still found the joy of Christian living although on a different level from what he had once followed. He had learned that “he had a lot to give.”

In the scripture reading today, we are reminded that we cannot let our moods or changing circumstances determine our giving. But “each one must do as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” When Christ controls your lives, whether you have great wealth, or only a very little, you will discover “you are always rich enough to be generous.” And when you trust God with your tithe, “you have a lot to give.”

You have yourself, you have time, you have money, and above all, you have Jesus Christ. In these days of confusion, I find many persons talking about Jesus Christ as if he were a good man but having no particular claim upon human life today. Others seem to be unable to relate Jesus Christ to the lifestyle which we are swept into today. If you have come to know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you have a lot to give—you have hope and faith and love to share with a desperately dying world. You have something which everyone you meet desperately needs. And no matter how many persons may look to you for help, you are never exhausted. You will always be rich enough to be generous and keep on giving. Because you have Jesus Christ, you have a lot to give.

I hope that you read again our scripture lesson for today, and see that while Paul was talking about giving money he was also talking about giving Jesus Christ. And he climaxed this great chapter with the unforgettable words: “Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift.” You have so much to give that it is literally beyond words—the unspeakable, inexpressible gift is Jesus Christ. When you have Christ in your heart and life, “you have a lot to give.”

Frequently we think about God’s riches we sing “he’s got the whole world in his hands” or “my Father is rich in houses and lands, He holdeth the wealth of the land in His hands.” But God has trusted you and me with everything he has. He has trusted us with the silver and the gold, the cattle and the oil. And he has trusted us with His Son Jesus Christ. He has staked his entire Kingdom on what human beings would do with what He has given them. “Look, you will always be rich enough to be generous.” You have a lot to give!