To Give, To Believe

Luke 21:1:4—He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.

This passage always puts a mirror up for me to evaluate where in my life I am holding back.  It is so easy to give out of our abundance – whether that abundance is time, money, hospitality, or something else.  It is much harder, however, to give sacrificially.  Have you ever truly put another’s needs above your own?  Have you ever done something for another person that put you at a disadvantage?  There is something wildly liberating about putting another’s needs above our own.  It forces us to confront our fears about not having enough, it forces us to give up control, and most importantly it forces us to have faith in God.  It’s easy to say that we know God provides, but it is quite another to really trust that and behave as if we really believe it.  The truth is, no one is really in control of anything in our lives—control is an illusion we have come to believe is reality.  When we push ourselves, when we stop holding back and we help our fellow man, we live out our faith.  And God does provide.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God as your Provider.  Consider those areas of your life where you may be holding back, where you could give more.  Pray that you would live into your faith every moment of every day. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you into opportunities to give sacrificially, just as the poor widow.