2 Corinthians 8: Overflowing Joy

“And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.” -2 Corinthians 8:1-2

Overflowing joy. Have you ever met someone whose joy oozes? Whose life spills onto those around them? If you have, perhaps like me you found yourself wondering, “How can I get some of that?”

When Paul spoke of the Macedonian churches, he mentioned they were enduring severe trials and extreme poverty. They couldn’t feed themselves and faced harsh opposition from those who hated the Christian message. Yet their joy overflowed.

I find two insights that flood my life today. First, their joy was not dependent upon circumstances; their joy was dependent upon God. If my attitude is based on the weather or my wealth, I’m going to be unhappy much of the time. If my joy is based on Christ in me, I can find joy in a snowstorm or without food. All that matters is Christ.

Second, overflowing joy results in “rich generosity.” Paul was likely not talking about huge amounts of money. These people were struggling to feed themselves. The idea of rich generosity was one of radical giving, an attitude that “what I have is not my own.” When we live with an overflow of joy, we are willing to share easily with others. Why? Because what matters is Christ. The things of this world are just that–things.

Today, find your overflowing joy in Christ. Not the temperature or your bank account, but the Creator of all things. When you do, you will find yourself unattached to your possessions and willing to share. You might even find yourself funding another endeavor like Paul’s to help those around our planet also experience the overflowing joy that comes from knowing Christ.

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Dillon Burroughs is the author and coauthor of numerous books and is handwriting a copy of all 31,173 verses of the Bible at HolyWritProject.com. Find out more about Dillon at Facebook.com/readdB or readdB.com.