Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth, but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
(Mark 12:43-44 NIV)
Each of us should give what we have decided in our hearts to give, not reluctantly or by force because God loves a cheerful giver. In Mark 12, Jesus contrasts the offering of a poor widow and the gifts of many rich people. It wasn’t the amount that concerned Jesus, rather the attitude of the giver’s heart. The rich people “threw in large amounts.” Maybe they thought, “There! I’ve done my part. I feel good about myself!” The poor widow “put in two tiny copper coins.” Jesus said that it was all she had to live on. She sacrificed it all and gave what she thought the Lord was asking of her.
What is your attitude about giving? To some degree, do you give so others will notice your generosity? What if Jesus called you to sacrifice as the widow did? Would you give with a cheerful heart?