And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. Calling 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 12:41-44
“People often say that if we had more income we would give more to support God’s work through the church. However, the truth is that it is not the amount of money in our wallets that determines our giving but the amount of gratitude in our hearts which determines how much we give to support God’s work . . .
Jesus never commanded His disciples to give 10 percent of their income to God. Jesus wanted us to give 100 percent of ourselves to God so that everything we are and have is devoted to the loving service of God and others. When we surrender ourselves totally and completely into the hands of God, we seek to use 100 percent of our time, talent, and treasure in ways that bring honor and glory to God and serve the needs of others.”
Kent Millard in The Gratitude Path: Leading Your Church to Generosity (Nashville: Abingdon, 2015).
Take a moment to consider your own life. Your generosity is not based on a percentage from your purse or wallet but the posture of the heart. Is your heart filled with gratitude for the priceless gift of grace you have received from God?
Are you deploying yourself in fruitful work and the resources in your stewardship in ways that “bring honor and glory to God and serve the needs of others” as Millard put it? Don’t do it because I said so, do it because it’s what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.
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