Day 15: The Ripple Effect
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Transcript
If you’ve ever tossed a stone into a still pond, you’ve seen the ripple effect. The initial splash may be small, but the impact spreads outward in waves, reaching way beyond the original point of contact.
Generosity works the same way. An act of giving doesn’t stop with the giver—it expands and often inspires others to give, which creates an impact far greater than what one person could accomplish alone.
Paul understood this effect when he wrote the letter we call 2 Corinthians to the church in Corinth. He was raising funds to support Jesus followers who were facing severe hardship in Jerusalem. Even though early Christians sometimes lived hundreds of miles apart and usually didn’t even know each other, there was still a great sense of being connected—bonded through this new way of understanding God through Christ and united in spreading the good news of Jesus.
At the time, Paul was the leader of these small churches throughout the Middle East. He saw generosity as a way for churches to support one another, reinforcing the unity of the body of Christ. He knew that giving wasn’t just about meeting financial needs—it was about strengthening faith and inspiring more people to trust God with their resources.
To encourage the Corinthians to give to the church in Jerusalem, he pointed to another group of believers—the Macedonian churches—who had already demonstrated remarkable generosity. Despite their own deep poverty and difficult circumstances, the Macedonians didn’t hold back. Instead, they gave freely and joyfully to the church in Jerusalem. Paul wrote to the people in Corinth, speaking about the Macedonians:
“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.”
In other words, the churches in Macedonia didn’t give because they had excess—they gave because they saw generosity as a privilege.
Now, Paul didn’t mention the Macedonians just to brag on them; he wanted the Corinthians to be inspired by them. He wanted generosity to spread. Their story was meant to ignite a similar passion in others—to show that generosity isn’t just about meeting a need, but about creating a movement. Generosity is contagious. When one person gives, it has the potential to inspire others to do the same.
Paul’s encouragement to the Corinthians wasn’t only about giving—it was about excelling in generosity. He puts it this way, in that same letter:
“But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.”
Generosity is a type of grace we give; it’s something we grow in, something we develop. And when we do, we don’t just meet needs—we create a ripple effect of generosity that inspires others to be generous as well.
With that, our 15-day journey comes to a close. We started by remembering that everything we possess is not really ours in the first place. It's all God's. Our job is to take what’s been entrusted to us and use it—not to build up our own kingdoms, but to invest in the one kingdom that will last forever.
“Heavenly Father,
Give us the courage and strength to be generous with what’s been given to us. You own it all. We don’t. May what we do with the resources temporarily in our control have an impact for your kingdom for generations to come. Amen.”
