He Became Poor

As I think and reflect upon this time of year with Christmas approaching and with thoughts of buying gifts and spending money, it is tempting to lose sight of the profound reason why Christmas is so special. I am intentionally going to focus my thoughts on Christ during Christmas, and I hope that it will be an encouragement to you as well.

Lately I have been reading through 2 Corinthians, and this verse stood out to me this morning

2 Corinthians 8:9

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

This verse, in context, is in reference to giving financially for the sake of others. But with Christ’s example, it also refers to the spiritual riches that we receive because of Christ’s sacrificial gift to us of eternal life. For our sake, He became poor. Because of His grace, we might become spiritually rich. A little further on in this passage we read that “God loves a cheerful giver.”

Even though I am not rich by some standards, the Lord Jesus Christ has made me incredibly wealthy by His grace. And I must not be greedy with the spiritual wealth that He has blessed me with. I must be a cheerful giver. I must look for opportunities to share His wealth with others who are spiritually bankrupt and beggars as I once was. It is my sincere hope that God, by His grace, will allow me opportunities to share His riches with others this Christmas season.