Give Yourself First

"They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us." — 2 Corinthians 8:5

What's the secret to radical generosity?

Listen to what Paul says about the Macedonian churches: "In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord's people" (2 Corinthians 8:2-4).

Did you catch that? Extreme poverty. Severe trial. And yet—overflowing joy and rich generosity. They begged for the privilege of giving.

How is that possible?

Here's the key: "They gave themselves first of all to the Lord."

This is where the real issue is. We will always struggle with giving if we don't first give ourselves to the Lord. When you've surrendered everything to Him—your life, your future, your plans, your security—giving money becomes easy. It's just one more thing that already belongs to Him anyway.

But if you're holding back yourself, you'll hold back everything else too.
The Macedonians didn't give out of abundance. They gave out of surrender. They didn't give because they had extra. They gave because they had already given themselves.

Give your heart first to Christ. The resources will flow later. Obedience will flow later. Give yourself first to Christ.

When you belong completely to Him, everything you have belongs to Him too. And generous giving becomes not a struggle, but a joy.