Give unto the Lord

“Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness” (1 Chronicles 16:29 KJV).

    Amidst the material possessions that surround our lives, coming out of our wants and desires and of all the monetary funds that fill our pockets with disposable means to buy anything that we want … what is our attitude in regards to giving back to God? Do we selfishly grasp the things in the material realm as strictly products of our efforts while reluctantly giving miniscule amounts to God and others? Are we generous in some ways to attract public attention but are bitter in our Scrooge filled hearts as we release our showy token gifts that barely dent our candy budget? Have we become so calculating in what we give, that true generosity is lost in the percentage determined and subtracted from our bank accounts?

    There are numerous ways we can be selfish or hypocritical, even in giving.  We can hold back, simply because we have to live and we can rationalize any amount to withhold. In doing so, what becomes our greatest value: our things or our God?  Where does our abundance come from?  Does not all that we have ... come as a gift from our generous Father in heaven? Did  the Widow who earned the praise of Jesus, not have the same needs as you and I?  Did she and her family not need a place to sleep and something to eat? Why did she give all that she had? Maybe she simply realized her God had given her all that she needed.  We can all give more to God and to the others He loves (Psalm 68:5-6) who are less fortunate than ourselves.  It is a matter of the heart and a question of what our hearts are truly focused upon.  The Widow’s heart was upon God and upon Him alone. Jesus knew the Widow's heart and gave to the Apostles and to us, her timeless example to notice and follow.

“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; 44 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 12:43-44 KJV).