“Freely you have received; freely give.” Matthew 10:8
I don’t know about you, but I struggle with giving of myself. Mentally and emotionally, giving can be draining. I struggle to give a listening ear to others when I’m dealing with a burden of my own. I struggle to give of my time when I feel overworked and stressed. I struggle to extend kindness and love to those who have hurt me. I asked myself why I wrestle with this, why something so beautifully explained and lived by Jesus could be so difficult. Mark 12 tells us of a poor widow who comes to the temple to make an offering. Many rich people throw in large sums of money, but she only puts in two small coins. Jesus then calls His disciples and says,
“Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” Mark 12:43 (NIV)
From this story we learn the God sees what man overlooks, even the smallest offering. No one else took notice of the widow, but Jesus did and He commended her for her willingness to give. Although the portion she gave was inadequate in the world’s eyes, she gave in faith, believing that God could use it. Those two coins were a true sacrifice and give us a glimpse of a heart that genuinely sought to surrender everything to God. And we don’t even know her name. That’s giving freely. That’s resting in the unlimited resources of our Maker.
I think that’s why I struggle at times. I’m not resting in God’s resources. We are nourished by the precious truth of who we are in Christ. As His children, He fills us with those resources! He supplies us with His mercy, love, patience, wisdom, and truth. From this sacred place, we can freely give to others without fear of falling of becoming empty. Jesus makes us whole! We overflow because He never stops giving to us! We can give of our time, our resources, our hearts. We can love others hard, knowing that Christ is the source of all that we need. When people fall short, when things go wrong, when we have a bad day, we can turn our eyes to Jesus and He will fill us up again.
Father, I pray that each day I would be filled with You and that I would give from Your strength, rather than my own. Let your love shine through me. May I be a cheerful giver. You are faithful to take care of me.
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