Giving Until It Hurts

Today’s Bible readings are Joshua 24:1-33, Luke 21:1-28, Psalm 89:38-52, & Proverbs 13:20-23

Luke 21:1-4

While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. ² Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins.

³ “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. ⁴ For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.”

It never seems to amaze me, that when Jesus teaches we see things much different than normal. His teachings seem to contrast the ideas that most people would have. I have come to realize this time & time again. Here is a list of things that Jesus said that is opposite of what most think:

1.      If you want to be more, you must become less.

2.      You have to lose your life to find your life.

3.      If you want to be great you have to become a servant.

4.      If you want to find victory you have to surrender.

These are a few that I think about often. Then, add to this list His teaching on giving that He gives at the temple this morning.

Most of us, when we think about giving, think that the gift matters. We think the bigger the gift the better. This is how we have been trained to think according to the world standard. Yet, Jesus sets forth a very different principal in this teaching. I believe that He makes it clear that the gift doesn’t even matter.

When I first read this story, it is easy to pay attention the gifts being offered. It is easy to contrast the obvious. But as I really think on this, I don’t think the gift itself was what impressed Jesus at all. It wasn’t the money that we should take note of at all. Why did Jesus say that the widow gave more? It was because she gave in faith.

The rest of the people were giving out of their surplus. They had plenty left over. It didn’t require much faith at all for them to give. They could still see with their natural eyes how their needs would be met. They didn’t need to be in faith. The widow, on the other hand, gave in faith. It took great faith for her to offer her gift. It was all she had. Once she let go of it, there was nothing that she had left to trust in. She had to trust in god to provide. She had to exercise faith. Without faith, she could not have given.

Hebrews 11:6

⁶ And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

We can get the idea that as long as we give, we have done what is required. I have had that idea in the past. But my view on giving has changed. I have come to realize that I really haven’t given at all until I have given in faith. I remember one preacher saying that you haven’t given in faith if it didn’t hurt to give it. That is when my giving changed.

Now, apart from the topic of money, let’s talk about the other areas that we are to give in faith.

1.      Our talents.

We sometimes don’t think that our talents are worth much. This is the best way for us to give in faith. When you don’t think you have anything of worth or value, it take faith to offer it anyway. This is giving in faith. This is also when you will see the Holy Spirit do His best work.

2.      Our praise.

Has there ever been a day when you didn’t feel like praising? Has there ever been a moment when you didn’t have much to shout about? I have had both. It is in those moments that I praise by faith. I have come to realize that those moments of praise are the ones that God really notices. It is when I don’t feel like praising that my praises costs me the most. This is praising by faith.

3.      Our love.

I know how hard it is to love. There are times when we don’t feel people deserve of love. Maybe they have hurt you. Or maybe they have taken advantage of you. Maybe you just don’t feel like you have any love left to give. This is when we love by faith. This is when love really costs us something.

Loving by faith is never easy to do. Loving by faith is when we love when don’t see any return. It is when we chose to love even when we don’t see any love coming back to us. It is the kind of love that never fails.

Living by faith really does affect every area of our lives. As we start to open up our heart to the truth of what it is to walk by faith, we will start to live the kind of life that really is different. It is the kind of life that Jesus really takes notice of.

Today, let’s begin to be open to what it is to walk by faith. Let us examine the different areas that we have talked about to see if we are in faith, or just doing what everybody else does.  Faith matters. Use it to glorify God in all that you do!

Pastor Richard Schlotter