“But thank God! He has given Titus the same enthusiasm for you that I have. Titus welcomed our request that he visit you again. In fact, he himself was very eager to go and see you. We are also sending another brother with Titus. All the churches praise him as a preacher of the Good News. He was appointed by the churches to accompany us as we take the offering to Jerusalem —a service that glorifies the Lord and shows our eagerness to help. We are traveling together to guard against any criticism for the way we are handling this generous gift. We are careful to be honorable before the Lord, but we also want everyone else to see that we are honorable. We are also sending with them another of our brothers who has proven himself many times and has shown on many occasions how eager he is. He is now even more enthusiastic because of his great confidence in you. If anyone asks about Titus, say that he is my partner who works with me to help you. And the brothers with him have been sent by the churches, and they bring honor to Christ. So show them your love, and prove to all the churches that our boasting about you is justified.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭8:16-24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Titus was being sent back to Corinth to receive the collection for the Jerusalem saints. Along with him were trusted men who were appointed from the churches who had also contributed to the cause. Having more than one man handling the generous amount of funds that had been collected brought integrity to the situation. This offered security, accountability, and honor to the process. There were no electronic transfers or "checks in the mail". Everything had to be hand delivered. This was a risky responsibility, especially if they were attacked and robbed. Complete trust had to be given to these men. What if one of them decided to embezzle some of the money? Great care of the money had to given. Each man on this very important mission had to be trusted to the max. Paul was offering his endorsement of these trusted men. He encouraged the Corinthians to receive Titus as his partner in ministry. He also expected them to accept the men with Titus with the same love and respect. Paul had been boasting about the Corinthians love for Christ and their willingness to help. He didn't want to be disappointed and he expected them to do what they said they would do.

God wants us to conduct the affairs of His church with honor and integrity. We must not be careless about our part in its furtherance. Can God count on us to do His business with honor and integrity?

Prayer for today: Father, in Jesus name, thank you for letting me be a part of Your Church. Please help me to do my part in Your Kingdom work with honor and integrity. Help me honor You in all my ways. May others find me trustworthy so that I may bring glory to You.