Sacrificial Giving

“I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusement, etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our giving does not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say it is too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot because our commitment to giving excludes them.” C.S. Lewis

Several years ago I had a friend tell me that he had never given sacrificially before.  I never forgot that conversation mainly because it made me think about the times in my life where I gave sacrificially. Not often enough.

What does it mean to give sacrificially? One of the best examples of this is found in Mark 12 about the widow who gave two mites.  Jesus was sitting watching people put money in the treasury (today’s terminology would probably be the offering plate). In this story she put two mites into the treasury which make a quadran.  I had to look up quadran to see approximately how much that was in today’s world.  It would have been about one quarter today. 

The most important thing we can learn from this story is that the widow gave all she had.  She didn’t hold anything back.  In her poverty she gave more than the rich people did in all their abundance. Can you imagine the offering plate coming around and you empty your bank account into it? How many of us have that much faith in God to believe that He will provide for us even if we give it all away.    

I admit I am not good at giving sacrificially.  Sacrificial giving means we have to give up something we may need or want to do or buy.  It means giving until it hurts. By that I mean giving so much that you don’t know where the money is going to come from to make up for the giving. In this type of giving faith is the basis of the giving. If I cling to what I have, fearing there won’t be enough if I give it way, then my faith in God isn’t what it should be. 

There is no better time to start than now.  I think our mindset needs to change.  Instead of buying an extra Starbucks coffee or dessert at our favorite restaurant, pledge to give that to the Lord for His work.  Let go of your fear of not having enough and let God show you an abundance beyond your imagination.

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I know I am not good at sacrificial giving.  My faith is too small.  When I fear I will not have enough to buy necessities, I am not having enough faith in You.  Please change my heart to a sacrificial heart.  Sacrificial giving means I may need to do without something to help another person or my church. Thank you for all You give me.  Sacrificial giving is really me giving back what You gave to me in the first place.             

      

Scripture: The Widow’s Two Mites

Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.” Mark 12:41-44