All She Had

Today’s reading: Luke 21:1-28

“I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭21:3-4‬

One of the greatest temptations when it comes to finances is to let the amounts tell the story. Amounts don’t tell the story.

It isn’t the amount that God is noticing, it is the sacrifice. How much did that hurt to offer? How much did that gift cause you to further depend on God’s provision? Too many times our lack of extravagant generosity causes us to spend whatever margin we have on things we didn’t need in the first place.

I.H. Marshall says it well, “...what matters is not the amount that one gives but the amount that one keeps for oneself.”

Do I lose when my bank account isn’t as full after a generous gift, or is this my greatest gain?

Some (if not all) of the happiest people I know are the most generous people I know. Why? Sacrifice in Jesus’ name = JOY.