In his classic book, The Screwtape Letters, Oxford writer, C. S. Lewis, imagines a conversation between two devils about the best way to tempt humans. In one letter, the veteran tempter, Screwtape, tells the novice tempter, Wormwood, that he needs to take it slow. Letting his human charge commit some spectacular wickedness too soon could awaken him to the real condition of his heart and bring him to repentance.

There is no better advice I can give you regarding giving than this, start somewhere and grow. Honestly, that’s the best advice there is. Give a little and see what God will do with the gift and for you. Then, give a little more and see if His commitment to be good to you remains the same.

Paul sends some interesting greetings here. He’s mentioned in the letter a few of the people who are with him, such as Epaphroditus, and he now says hello on their behalf. But more interestingly, especially given the Philippians commitment to helping Paul spread the gospel, is the greeting from “all God’s people here” and “especially those who belong to Caesar’s household.” Let me translate:To you, the church I planted and love in Philippi, I send greetings from the church I have planted here during my imprisonment. Love it! 

There is some resistance to the idea that we can and should ask God for blessings both spiritual and material. In fact, I’ve heard people say that verse 19, the last sentence in the passage above about God meeting our needs with His riches, refers solely to spiritual needs. However, the context doesn’t support that limited reading. Paul is clearly talking about physical needs in this context. Plus, the language is pretty clear. “…all your needs” would be, in fact, all your needs, and “the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” includes absolutely everything.

There is little doubt that the Philippians loved Paul (and that their affection was returned in full measure). After all, they had received from him the message of the gospel, which had changed their lives! But it wasn’t just affection that fueled their giving. They were all in for the spread of the gospel to other communities. They were committed to Paul’s work, and so they were his partners in that work. That’s likely how they saw themselves, as partners and supporters.

Over the last 50 years, the standard of living has steadily increased in Western Europe and North America. For example, the size of the average home has more than doubled since the 1960s and spending on vacations and eating out have soared (Americans spend on average $1100 per year, per person on vacations). We have every imaginable creature comfort at our fingertips from dishwashers, to smart phones, to flat screen TVs.