“Giving Everything”
And calling the His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”
Mark 12:43-4
Most of think that real giving is for those who are financially blessed, and whose pocketbooks and bank accounts are adequately funded. We are tempted to make excuses for not giving more when we are living in lack ourselves. There are those individuals who can write a five-figure check and not blink an eye. There are those who have the ability to give six-figure donations, but on this occasion at least Jesus was not impressed with the large donors. His heart and attention were drawn to an obscure lady who had suffered a great deal.
We learn from the text that she was a widow and that she was poor. The implication of this woman being termed “poor” means that she was facing such lack in her own life that she was reduced to begging for alms to meet her most basic needs. She was needy in every respect of the imagination. But while living in extreme poverty and coping with the loss of her husband, this lady enters the temple and gives her gift. We would not know anything about her or her gift if Jesus had not used her as example in teaching the disciples. I am confident that many extravagant gifts were put into the temple treasury that day. Knowing human nature, I am also confident that there were those who wanted everyone to know that they were giving extravagant gifts. Jesus was not impressed.
Enter a poor widow who had been begging for alms in order to live out even the most meager existence. She walks up to the treasury to offer her gift of two small copper coins, which were the smallest of copper coins and worth very little. Her gift captured the heart and attention of Christ. Read with interest what Jesus said about her gift, “. . . she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”
True, there were large gifts given that day, yet those who gave those gifts did not give sacrificially because they had plenty of reserves left. When Bill Gates gives a million dollars it does not hurt him financially as it would a widow on a fixed pension giving a thousand or even a hundred dollars. The widow lady we are talking about went beyond that - she gave EVERYTHING! She had no reserves. She had not tucked away investments. She gave every single thing she had to give. She held nothing back and it touched the heart of God.
As we have been going through this forty-day challenge to trust God and obey God, today we are faced with a whole other realm of faith. To this point most of our focus has been on asking God for something, trusting Him for something, but today our focus shifts from receiving to giving. What is He calling you to give to Him? It is a simple question. What amount, what possession, what gift, what sacrifice is He calling you to give or to make for the glory of His name and the advancement of His causes?
I recently met with a college student who feels called to serve in a summer missions program in a foreign country. He needs a good portion of money to make up what He is lacking to cover the cost of the trip. People are going to be asked to share in this opportunity to advance the cause of Chris, but the economic conditions are currently very tough. People have lost their jobs. Many are barely making ends meet as it is. How could I lead the church to give to this cause? Because Jesus said there is more joy in giving than receiving (Acts 20:35.)
Few of us in the United States know poverty like this widow lady was facing. We may not have everything we want but we have everything we need. I would still be so audacious as to ask you, what goes God want you to give? I have known those who have given away clothes, money, cars, computers, jewelry, books, and many other possessions.
In relocating my office recently I was led to give away hundreds of books. There was a time in my life when I would not have been open to doing such a thing, because I love my books with a passion. But God has slowly and gently pried my hands off the most precious possession I have; my library. My thousands of volumes of books are like treasured friends; some of them I have visited and revisited multiple times over the years. I cannot put into words how deeply I love my books. Yet as I was moving box after box I felt the Lord’s gentle prodding to begin weeding through those books to make them available to others on a first-come and first-serve basis. Even after shelving those boxes of books I perused my bookshelves four different times, culling other hardbacks and paperbacks alike to offer to takers. It brought me joy to give, and each time I give as the Lord prompts it blesses my heart.
Recently, my wife Brenda was working at a book fair at the elementary school and was speaking to a young lady from our church who is just starting out as a school teacher and could only afford to spend a certain amount of money to buy books for her classroom. She was disappointed to learn that she did not have enough money to buy one volume she really wanted. Brenda told me later that the Lord convicted her to buy the book for the young lady and to give it to her. What a blessing to be able to do such things! It was not a large gift but it flooded our hearts with joy to join God in giving. We have both been on the receiving end but we like it much better when we get to be on the giving end.
God is calling each of us to give. Some people will be led to give more than others. We are not to get hung up on equal gifts but to jointly share in equal sacrifice. You will be called to give much differently than I will.
It is a sweet joy to be freed from being possessed by our possessions and our money. It is joy beyond description to obey God in giving regardless of the sacrifice. Here is the very point where faith comes into play - when we are called to give or even contemplate giving, especially sacrificially, we have to face the fear that the money will run out and there will not be enough left over to meet our needs. Do we trust God to meet our needs regardless of whether we have stockpiles of cash or if He leads us to give the last dollar in our pocket?
How could this widow lady give EVERYTHING she had? How could she have parted ways with all the money she had on the earth with nothing set back for a rainy day? She had to trust God to meet her needs. We are so worried about our needs, sometimes days, weeks, months, and even years down the road. God promised to give us this day our daily bread. If I have a legitimate need, He has promised to meet that need, therefore I can be free from worry and give generously and sacrificially as God prompts me to give, just as you can.
We must sit before the Lord and ask Him what He wants us to give. He will show us the amounts, the possessions, and where those things should be directed. It is a liberating thing to be delivered from greed, materialism, and love of money. Few acts can help us defeat each of these things in our lives like obediently, sacrificially, and joyfully giving.
Steps to Trust and Obey:
Spend some prolonged time surrendering your money and possessions to Him to be used as He desires.
Ask Him if there is something He is asking you to give sacrificially.
Ask the Lord for the ability to build wealth for the purpose of giving it away.
What is the Lord speaking to you? What are you supposed to do in response to what He is speaking to you?
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