T H E O P H I L U S

As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

Luke 21:1-4

Have you ever felt like you had so little, you wondered how you could possibly give anything to the Lord? We may have often given the excuse “I don’t make enough to be generous!” or “I’m having a hard time supporting myself let alone others”. Sometimes it is true that some of us genuinely have a difficult time, but many of the time this is merely an excuse. Today’s devotional is not on the principle of how we spend our money as Christians (read here for that specific devotional), but rather on where our heart is, and where our commitment lies.

The poor widow in this passage had a love for God that was beyond a desire for wealth or the need for money. She may have also given even when her finances were scarce enough as it was. The rich folk gave as charity and “generosity” to pump up their arrogant egos, but the woman gave as worship to God and true thankfulness to the Lord. To her, the amount that she gave truly was sacrificial and heartfelt.

Do we give our time, money, and efforts to the church simply out of a sense of charity or false generosity? There are so many times I have heard as a pastor that one will “volunteer” their time or efforts for the church. This is not only sinful, but arrogant thinking. As harsh as this may sound, our charity is not needed with God. He is able to exist and be glorified without our money or time, and is in no way dependent on us. But It is our love for Him and worship that the Lord desires from us. We give time, money and effort into the church because it is worship to God from our hearts. It is a sign of our heart’s status and love for Him, more than the love for our possessions and idols.

Thus today, when there are moments of generosity we can practice, do it not from charity but from love. If you tithe to the church because it is a religious obligation, then give more to challenge your motives and see where your idolatry is. If you love God more than the money you gave, you will not regret your choice. When we truly love God, there is nothing more valuable than our relationship with him. Just as the widow had demonstrated before Jesus’ eyes.