Except You Only
And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the
gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership
with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in Thessalonica
you sent me help for my needs once and again. (Philippians 4:15–16)
It’s nice to be a part of a group that is giving toward a common
goal. You can get excited by watching how others are giving and
by the steadily growing amount of funds as you edge closer to your
goal. The giving of others brings you encouragement as you mature
in your own stewardship.
But what if you are the only one giving toward a cause? That’s
when you need to focus on the Giver of every good and perfect gift
to help sustain your giving. It’s what happened with the Philippians.
They gave to Paul while he was with them, and then continued to
give even after he left. They believed in his mission and knew he
needed their help. They built a relationship with him and marked
it through their regular gifts.
Sometimes God puts you in a position like the Philippians. You
see a need and stick with it. God honors that sort of quiet giving.
Paul needed the faithfulness of the Philippians. He said of them,
“no church entered in partnership with me in giving and receiving,
except you only.”
Pay attention to the needs around you, especially the mission
needs of those who might not attract much attention from others.
Perhaps it’s the new church plant in your area that seems to be
gasping for breath financially. As God leads you into these areas of
giving, do it quietly, even if it’s “except you only.” When you honor
God, He will bless you!
Prayer Points
• Ask the Lord if there is someone you need to bless with your
giving.
• Thank the Lord for giving you the resources to help others.
My Prayer
Lord, I am so grateful that You have blessed me with the resources I
need to bless others. What a privilege to pass along Your blessings.
Help me to keep my spiritual eyes and ears open to discern how You
might be leading me to give. Give me the wisdom to give without
needing recognition or appreciation.
Excerpted from “The Giving Church” by Dave Butts, and is used by permission of PrayerShop Publishing.