them to give from that poverty when they were apprised of the plight of their sisters and brothers in Jerusalem. They could not help but give. Their “overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.” We should also note the ultimate source of this single-minded, generous spirit. In the opening verse of this section, Paul attributes it to “the grace that God has given” to the churches in Macedonia. Generous givers aren’t born that way; such an attitude is a result of being reborn.