Romans 15:26 (NLT)

“For you see, the believers in Macedonia and Achaia have eagerly taken up an offering for the poor among the believers in Jerusalem.”

How can we say we are one Church and one Body, if we don’t care what happens to our needy brethren in Christ? It is a very strange thing indeed to have an abundance of supply in one part of the Body and an abundance of lack in another part. This is not the way the human body was made to function, and neither should the spiritual Body function this way. If one part has need, other parts of the Body of Christ should rally around to assist the needy part.

Thank God for the brethren in Macedonia and Achaia. When they heard of the plight of their brethren in Jerusalem, they “eagerly” took up an offering to assist them. Nobody cajoled them. Nobody promised them heavenly or earthly blessings for showing such generosity. They knew that this was the right thing to do and they simply did it. True fellowship is not without requisite action. If there are poor and needy amongst the brethren, we who may have the grace of resources, should assist them, with joy and eagerness. It should be a natural and spontaneous action if the Body were really operating as a Body. Unfortunately today, there is so much poverty in the church, right in the midst of so much affluence. Something is terribly wrong with the Body of Christ, and it needs healing – starting with me.

“Start with me Lord. Enlarge my bowels of compassion Lord. Increase my giving, to help the poor and the needy amongst my brethren. Deliver me from any spirit of stinginess. Heal me and heal the Body of Christ. In Jesus name. Amen.”