"Lord, I don't ask that I should win, but please, please don't let me finish behind Akabusi."
Giving
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9An English Premier League footballer who had come to faith told a friend of mine. “I don’t like going to church because they just want my money”.
What a tragedy that the church had communicated to the player that they just wanted his money! Churches often struggle to deal with the well-known sportsperson.
Perhaps too, the player needed to understand better Christ’s teaching on money. In Luke 12:34 Jesus says “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” meaning is your treasure in things of this world or in heaven.
In 2 Corinthians 8 Paul expresses the principles – equality and mutual sharing according to need (verses 13, 14).
I am involved in supporting a girls’ football project in Togo. Why should girls be denied the chance to play football just because they were born in Togo?
The motivation for Christian giving is found in the verse at the top. We give because of the example of Jesus Christ who gave everything for us.
In the Middle Ages, knights were sometimes baptised with their sword sticking out of the water as an indication that they could not surrender their sword to Christ. Some of us have been baptised with our wallet sticking out of the water.