The Church in Jerusalem and Judea was poor by any standard of measurement, and the people of that church was on Paul's heart and mind. As he traveled he asked Christians to give offerings to help meet the needs of the home church, and people responded; even the people of the churches in Macedonia, another group of people who were extremely poor.

The churches of Macedonia had nothing of material things really, but they did have love for God in their hearts. Their love caused them to give to the Jerusalem church with "liberality" ( 2 Cor. 8:2). Paul says that even though they were in "deep poverty" themselves, that they still gave, "according to their ability, and beyond their ability" (2 Cor. 8:3). I don't know how one gives beyond their ability but Paul says they found a way to do it, and "gave of their own accord" (2 Cor. 8:3).

Paul then asks the Corinthian Christians, and us, through them, to have this same kind of mind, this same kind of heart -- a heart of liberality, a heart of generosity, a heart that finds a way. It is a heart profoundly lived out among us in Jesus who, "though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty mighty become rich" (2 Cor. 8:9).

Christians ought to be the most generous people on the face of the earth, generous in giving, generous in love, generous in forgiving, generous in worship, generous in mercy, generous like their Savior is generous.

More than what we give is how we give it -- our attitude, our motives, our spirit, our sincerity. Giving patterned after Jesus enables us to be "a fragrance of Christ," the kind of aroma that makes God look good (See 2 Cor. 2:14-16).

We don't know how much the Macedonians gave because that's not important. What we do know is that God had gotten a hold of their lives, and had made all things new for them. What a testimony!