Does it Matter if I Don't Give Jesus My Best?
Posted by Randy | Labels: Attitude, Faithfulness, Luke, Stewardship | Posted On Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 12:01 AM
Jesus foretells the future through the bulk of Luke 21, talking about the end times and the importance of standing firm in our faith. His promise is that he will return to set things right and take care of those who have placed their faith in him. Jesus is vague about the timing of these events, and elsewhere he says that no one but God the Father actually knows when these things will occur.
But, the first few verses of this chapter really capture my attention. Jesus is commenting on the gift of the poor widow as she drops two small coins into the Temple collection box (21:2) - essentially, the offering. Jesus indicates this widow gave sacrificially, and in the eyes of God her gift counts so much more than those who just put in whatever was easy or convenient.
I've always loved this story because it reminds me that God is always more concerned about my motives and attitudes behind my words and actions. God is concerned about my heart! This widow gave sacrificially, from what little she had. Her love and devotion to God drove her to give. It didn't matter that to most folks her gift would appear to have little or no impact - to Jesus her gift was the greatest of the gifts.
Sometimes I feel like I don't have much to give to the work of the Kingdom. What can I do compared to folks who are really talented, or have lots of resources, or are really famous? Yet, God's not looking solely at what I offer, but what I offer in relation to what He has entrusted to me. My faithfulness and intent is what concerns God the most.
This excites me because it means I shouldn't compare what I can do to what others can do. Rather, I should just do my best, and trust that God will take it and use it and multiply it. The widow gave only two small coins, but God has used her story to inspire millions that whatever they do, if by faith they do the best they can, if they push their limits, if they live and give sacrificially, God will honor that.
As God seeks to do greater things in us this month, some of us may be tempted to give into the lie that there's not much God can do in and through me. Yet, this widow reminds us that if we seek God with our whole hearts and strive to be faithful to Him, we may end up discovering God does the greatest things precisely through those of us who thought we had the least to give (at least in worldly terms). By faith we come to realize that God is more interested in my availability than my ability. When we offer Jesus our best, he gives us - and the world around us - his best!
