“And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.” Luke 21:1-4.
A preacher told of a church meeting where he had been asked to assist with a fund raising campaign for a church that had been struggling financially because the people would not give.
He said, “It was the slowest and most reluctant giving I have ever encountered.”
When he finished his exhortation and the pledges were taken, they had less than half the money needed.
He said that an elderly couple in the back then volunteered to sell their house to make up the difference—they had been offered exactly the amount remaining that needed to be raised for it the day before.
But in less than five minutes, the previously stingy congregation rallied to pledge the entire amount so the couple could keep their home.
The sacrifice of that couple motivated them to give.
When we realize that all we have belongs to God-
– it is impossible to justify refusing to give.
Sometimes we make the excuse that we do not give because of our lack.
But in reality, even small gifts have a big impact.
No man ever made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little.
The Lord after all does not need our money.
We are not helping Him when we give.
He is far more concerned about the condition of our heart than the size of our offering.
The measure of our generosity is-
– not found in the size of the gift,
– but in the sacrifice of the gift.