There’s a story in the Gospel of Mark that I’ve read many times. I’ve brushed over it in the past, but the Word of God is living and powerful, and recently this familiar passage spoke to me in a way that it hadn’t before.
Here’s the passage:
Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts.
Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins.
Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions.
For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”
~Mark 12:41-44
As I read these words, I realized a couple of things. First, I am like the rich people in this story. I give to God but a small portion of my surplus. Second, the story is not just about money.
Bottom line: God doesn’t want our leftovers, and He wants us to give Him everything.
Powerful examples.
Look at these passages where Jesus is calling some of His first disciples:
When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.”
For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him.
His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed.
Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!”
And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.
~Luke 5:8-11
So Levi got up, left everything, and followed [Jesus].
~Luke 5:28
Notice the phrase “left everything” in both passages. The apostles didn’t say to Jesus, “Sure, we’ll donate some of what we have to your cause” or “We’ll come be part of your ministry on the weekends… if we’re not busy.” No. They left everything and followed Him. They gave everything.
In contrast, we read in Mark 10:17-31 about a rich man who said he wanted to follow Jesus, but he was unwilling to part with his material wealth to do so. This man gave some of his life to God (e.g. he claims to have followed the commandments from his youth, and he showed a desire to follow Jesus). But ultimately his heart was like those donating large sums to the Temple collection box. He was only willing to give from his surplus.
Why should I?
We are selfish creatures by nature. Most of us feel entitled to our time, talent, and treasure, and we tend to use these gifts on whatever we think will make us happy. God asks, “will you give them to me?” We selfishly ask, “why should I?”
First off, all that we have comes from God. It belongs to Him anyway. We should give Him everything because of who He is. He is worthy. But it amazes me that even though God has the right to demand what He has given us… He asks. He wants us to give freely. And, He is loving and gracious, and richly blesses us when we do.
“Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”
~Luke 6:38
Peter said, “We’ve left our homes to follow you.”
“Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the Kingdom of God, will be repaid many times over in this life, and will have eternal life in the world to come.”
~Luke 18:28-30
What we give back to God is an investment, and unlike worldly investments, this one is guaranteed to pay off (though not always in a material sense). The Creator of the universe has guaranteed it! In light of this, we should follow the example of the poor widow (and of the disciples). We should invest everything, including our very lives.
Then [Jesus] said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.
If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?
~Luke 9:23-25
What are you holding back?
As I read the story of the widow who gave all she had to God, and reflected on the lives of the disciples, I had to ask myself the uncomfortable question: Am I giving my all? And the answer is, no. I’ve gotten comfortable giving to God from my surplus, like the rich folks who dropped large sums into the collection box.
God is not impressed by the amount we give; He’s impressed by the proportion. Am I giving God 30% of my life? 50%? 75%? I don’t know exactly. It’s difficult to quantify. But I know it’s less than 100%, and that’s what He’s asking for. He’s asking for it all. The question becomes, just how much am I willing to give?
My challenge to you (and to myself) is to honestly assess your life, and think about how much of it you’ve given to the Lord. In what ways can you give more of your time, talent, and treasure to God? Join me in looking for ways to increase how much of your life you are giving to God. Let’s keep making changes until we can say, “here, Lord, I’ve given you everything.” His Word promises us invaluable blessings if we do.
