Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. -2 Cor 9:6-7
Friends, God is good all the time!
Competent counsel provides encouragement and helps steer life on the right path. St. Paul's compelling words in the Corinthian reading chosen for St. Lawrence's feast provide excellent counsel on being both spiritually and physically engaged as Christians. St. Paul urges Christians to be wholly engaged both in faith and practice.
Organizational experts agree that engaged people tend to be psychologically active, attentive, connected, integrated, and focused on their role performances. St Paul relates engagement to effort at living the faith by going all out to scatter seeds of kindness in faith that yield amazing fruits. He says, "Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully" (V. 6).
Paul's idea of giving relates both to faith and the things we do because of our faith. Both faith and good deeds must be abundantly displayed by the believer. This explains his conclusion that God loves a cheerful giver." How do you know if you are truly engaged as Paul is asking us to do? Are you sowing sparingly or abundantly? You see, a recent study published in Gallup Business Journal revealed 56 percent of employees are 'checked out' employees, which means they’re not engaged at all, and 15 percent are "Actively Disengaged, which means they are simply unhappy about their work.
Christians are not to be "checking out" individuals who show no passion and spiritual energy that is given abundantly by the Holy Spirit nor be unhappy at the thought that they are Christians. If God loves a cheerful giver, then consider advancing more faith in God and in your actions. Be cheerful that you are a friend and a child of God. Be enthusiastic about your faith. At the same time, act with abundance in mind towards others; for as Jesus tells us, "unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life (Jn 12:24-25).
Do your kind deeds as if you live in an overflowing stream of abundance. Christians are called to act whenever there is the need without fear, as St. Lawrence did to win and participate in the heavenly abundance. The most remarkable story about Lawrence is that he sowed seeds of kindness both with his personal faith and life and with the resources of the church for the poor. Lawrence's authentic Christian engagement, both spiritually and physically, is what both Paul and Jesus refer to in the readings. Prayer blessing: Lord, I pray that I may so know you and love you that I may rejoice in you and fully live in this life as if you are all I truly need. Amen.