Luke 21:1-4
“He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; 2 he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. 3 He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; 4 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 shows that giving is not about how much you give, but it is instead about giving all.
The woman in this story is only able to give two copper coins compared to many others giving a surplus of gifts. Despite the smaller amount given by the woman, Jesus declares she has given the most of all because she gave all she could. The message here is that truly giving all, is about giving yourself fully. There are many things that we let get in the way of giving all; we like our stuff, we like the position our wealth provides, or maybe we do not have much to give in the first place. Yet we are still called to give all, how can we do that?
Remember that God does not see us as walking dollar signs, God loves us and cares for us and provides for us even when we feel we are alone. The mindset of giving should not be focused on a certain amount, but instead on glorifying and praising God. We must give in ways that allow for the continued growth of ministries that spread God’s love and support.
If you feel you do not have the means of giving monetarily, remember you have been blessed with many gifts you can share. If you love to bake find a way to give all with your baking, if you are an awesome artist find ways to praise through your art, if you have some free time work with your church or other ministries to find opportunities to volunteer. Giving all is not about giving all of your money, it is about giving of yourself.
As you finish this little devotion, think of the blessing you have been given and the ways you can give all and say this prayer:
“Dear Lord, thank you for all of the blessings you have given, and thank you for the opportunities to give to others. Please help me to find ways that I can give all, help me to see where I can donate, where I can volunteer, and where I can direct my prayers. Amen.”