PRAYER: Lord, each and every gift makes a difference in Your church. Teach me to have the faith to trust You and give in ways that make a difference in Your eternal kingdom.
DAY 7 - READ MARK 12:41-44
After a long morning of teaching in the temple courtyard, Jesus took a break with his disciples. Sitting right across from the treasury, their gazes drifted over to observe many people who were making their offerings. Never one to miss a teachable moment, Jesus asked his disciples about what they had seen: “Who put in more?” is the implied question. The answer is obvious to anyone reading or watching—those who gave the greatest sums put in more. Jesus turns the tables on the obvious, teaching His disciples an important principle of giving. Giving is not measured by dollar amounts. Giving is measured by how much we step out in faith to give a portion of our resources and of ourselves back to God to build His kingdom.
Those who gave large sums offered out of their surplus—gifts they would never even miss. Although it was just a penny, this widow’s offering meant the world to her. Her gift affected her life. Her seemingly small gift is the one Jesus singles out for praise. She put in more of herself than all of the others. She must have had incredible faith to believe that God was calling her to something eternal and would provide for her every need!
Commitments are not about equality, but about stepping out in faith to trust that our sacrifice for God is far more important than anything else we can do. Not everyone has the resources to make what the world would describe as a large gift; but every person has the ability and opportunity to meaningfully step out in faith and invest themselves in what God is doing in and through our church. After all, “The earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, belong to the Lord” (Psalm 24:1).
Did the widow’s gift have a greater impact toward the needs of the temple or did it have a greater impact on her own faith in God? Giving our time and resources for God’s purposes requires an extra measure of faith. It asks us to trust God’s plans and commands for our lives and rely on Him no matter what the cost. Those who gave out of their abundance were not changed by their gift. The widow’s gift was an act of great faith that showed her willingness to walk according to God’s plan, no matter what the perceived cost.
ACTION ITEM
Whether you measure the gift of your time, talents, or treasures to be large or small, stop trying to compare to others. Put that kind of measuring away! Every gift from every person is immeasurably significant if that gift represents a commitment to the Lord’s eternal work. Begin to ask this question: Lord, what sacrificial gift would you have me give toward your eternal work?