Sowing Generously

“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” — 2 Corinthians 9:6

Our culture is obsessed with returns – return on investment, return on time, return on energy. The general question we ask is this: What’s in it for me? Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 9:6 cut through that worldly mentality and demonstrate a  higher one.

At the heart of this verse is a timeless truth: You reap what you sow. We spoke about that on Sunday. In this section of Scripture, Paul is writing to Christians about their giving. In context, this chapter deals with a collection being gathered for suffering believers in Jerusalem. Paul encourages the Corinthian church to give generously, not under compulsion, but from a heart of cheerful generosity. That’s what verse 7 of this chapter demonstrates.

Paul’s goal is to stir their hearts, so he reminds them of this spiritual law: sow sparingly, reap sparingly; sow bountifully, reap bountifully. This spiritual law is echoed in parts of Proverbs (1:31, 5:22, 6:27-28, 11:18, 14:14, 22:8) and in Galatians 6:7-9 as we saw on Sunday.

The Principle of the Harvest

The gist of this spiritual law is this: what a man plants determines what he will harvest and how much he plants determines how much he will harvest. If he sows one seed, he might get a plant. If he sows an entire field, he will get an entire harvest. Paul applies this to the Christian life. Generosity is not losing—it’s sowing. It’s planting seeds into the soil of God’s purposes. Giving is an investment in eternal returns. Jesus echoed this in Luke 6:38: “Give, and it will be given to you… For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” Generosity opens our hands not just to give, but to reap eternal dividends.

The Motivation Behind Generosity

Notice that Paul doesn’t say, “Give more so you can get rich.” His focus is heart-level. He continues in verse 7: “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” The issue isn't how much money is in your hand, but the posture of your heart. Are you stingy because you fear you’ll run out? Are you stingy because you won’t get to spend as much on yourself? Or are generous because you trust that God will provide for all of your needs? Generous sowing flows from confidence in the generous character of God. This principle of sowing generously moves far beyond generosity in finances to the broader application of giving generously in all areas of life.

The Gospel Pattern

Ultimately, our giving is modeled after the gospel itself. Just a chapter earlier, Paul wrote: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor…” (2 Cor. 8:9). Christ gave bountifully—He sowed His very life for us. The result? A harvest of salvation, joy, and eternal life for all who believe. When we give, we reflect the heart of our Savior. Our generosity becomes a testimony to the world that our hope is not in what we own but in the One who owns it all.

Reaping Beyond This Life

Some rewards of generosity may come in this life—through provision, joy, and the impact on others. But many of the rewards are eternal. In Galatians 6:9, Paul urges, “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Faithful sowing may not yield an immediate harvest, but in God's perfect timing, it will.