Giving Everything!!!

The woman wasn’t only widowed, she was also consigned to a life of penury. Her life didn’t amount to anything in the Jewish community of those days. She was one of the invisibles (poor, woman and widowed), but that was precisely why her offering at the Tabernacle was considered a radical gesture. That morning, she probably woke up sad and hungry. She probably tried to think her way out of the impossibility of fending for herself and her little boy in the coming week. She disembowelled her shrivelled purse on the floor of her one-room apartment that smelled of impoverishment. Only two mites scurried out of the purse. She was not sure whether to cry or laugh. Just two mites for all that drama? Two mites in this day and age might not even buy you a meal. But then the urge to laugh overtook the lines of tears that gathered at the eastern side of her eyes. She had never even imagined that she was worth a cent, so the two mites that popped out of her purse must be a miracle. What would she do with this newfound (two-mite) wealth? She could at least get something for her baby boy who has been crying all day on their bed of hunger. The food stamps she got from the municipality had finished the previous night, and she is only due for another one in two days. But then she remembered that there was an announcement the previous week about the many needs of the church. When the announcement was made, she remembered thinking, “God, if only you count me amongst the number of those who give.” At that point, she didn’t even have a dime, not at hand nor in savings. But here she is now, with a whole two mites in her possession.

She remembered her prayer in church the previous week and now thinks the sudden appearance of two mites in her purse was an answer to her prayer. But then she remembered her hungry little boy and was convinced that the two-mite pittance was God’s provision to feed her child. But, again, she thought about the needs of the church. She imagined donating one mite to the church and one mite for her baby. What a perfect solution. She rose from the rickety bed that she picked up from the junkyard the other day and motioned to the door, but she suddenly heard a voice in her spirit, saying, “give everything to me.” She recognised the voice and knew instantly that it was God asking her to give everything. She, however, challenged the voice in her mind:

 “How can I give everything? My baby is hungry. I am hungry. Didn’t you provide us with this money so that we could find something to eat? Why do you want it back, Lord?”.

“Do you not trust me to provide all your needs according to my riches in glory?”

“I do, Lord, but…..”

“But what? Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, carefree in the care of God. You and your child count far more to me than the birds. Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow brightly, even though they don’t labour or spin”

“Okay, Lord, I hear you loud and clear. I will give you everything that I have and I will trust you to look after me.”

And off she went to the temple, fearing the intimidation of ostentatious givers but also being thankful that the treasury box is designed in a way that allows her to give quietly and out of the view of prying eyes.

There are many takeaways from the story of the poor widow who gave her all to God. First, she gave quietly but did not know that Jesus saw her. He sees you, too. Beyond the outward displays, he sees your heart. He always sees in secret and is quite adept at rewarding openly. The widow had no idea that she was being watched by the Son of God and that her story was going to be recorded in the word of God as encouragement for generations to come. A casual reader might have, on the surface, thought that the widow’s offering was next to nothing, but in God’s eyes, the widow gave more than all the rich men who came to cast their offering. When it comes to giving, God does not measure quantity; instead, he gauges the state of the heart behind the giving. Jesus said that the widow, out of her penury, gave all her living while the rich men gave just a little from the abundance they had. In other words, the widow gave the most offering because she gave her all. She, like King David, did not give what cost her nothing. She gave generously, discreetly, and sacrificially.

How do you give to God? What do you give to God? Do you give half-heartedly and non-commitally? Do you give what costs you something or do you give only out of convenience?

Be reminded that we are not only talking about monetary giving here. We are talking about giving your heart, body, soul, spirit, time, talent, resources, ambitions, etc. Consecration begins in that moment when you present your all to God. Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid?

Another lesson from the poor widow is that she demonstrated an unwavering faith in God’s ability to provide for her needs. Her giving showcased her reliance on God as the source of her provision. She gave everything, not knowing where her next meal would come from, but trusting that it would come because there is a God whose name is Jehovah Jireh –Lord the Provider. This is how to live our lives as Christians –– not worrying about what we’d eat, drink or wear because our Father in heaven knows that we have these needs.

Another major lesson from The Poor Widow is that you do not need to wait until you have in abundance before you give to God. You do not need to wait until you are rich before you support the work of God. You must always start from where you are–– for how could you be faithful in big things if you are not faithful in the small ones? Again, giving is all about your heart, not the bigness of your purse or the convenience of your situation. May God make us a people willing to give our all to Him. May we be people whose life’s song is:

I surrender all

I surrender all

All to Thee my blessed Savior

I surrender all