Give All You Have

41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. 43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” Mark 12:41-44

I read the verses from Mark and I realized that this story is talking about much more than giving part or all of our financial earnings. God directs us to give a percentage of the financial blessings He gives us back to Him, and we all should. However, in these verses I think He is talking about much more than money. In those days a widow was left on her own to care for herself. As a lady, she would not be allowed to work or own land. She had no way to earn money for food, clothing, and shelter. The two coins that she gave as an offering were not only all she had but were also probably all she would get for a long time. It took a lot of faith for her to give away all she had without knowing what her future would hold. The wealthy people in the crowd only gave a small portion of their financial wealth but the widow gave all she owned. She did not hold anything back. I believe God also wants us to give all we have in every area of our lives. He wants us to give all we have to our jobs, our sports, our schools, our teams, our families, and to Him. Don’t hold anything back for another day. Do your best and give all you have today and let Him worry about tomorrow.

I can picture in my mind, the plate where the people were placing their offerings. It was probably filled with large coins worth hundreds of dollars, expensive jewelry that could be sold for a large amount, and the two small coins. The two copper coins were worth only a few cents but I bet they shined brighter than all the others in the plate. If we give all we have, in everything, we will shine brighter than all the others and the lost people will be drawn to us. 

Chad