Mark 12:41-44 (NIV)
"Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money in the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But the poor widow came in put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
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 of their wealth; but she, out of poverty, put in everything-
all she has to live on.'"
This is an amazing story and illustration but I think there's more to it than meets the eye.
We tend to focus on the the willingness to give everything she has, monetarily, in the trust that God will meet her needs. This is an important lesson, because God is our provider.
I challenge you to also look at this story in another way.
She gave everything. She gave everything she had, with love and joy in her heart. What if, we do the same?
What if we don't give Jesus a piece of us? What if we don't give him the juiciest, most choice, pieces of ourselves in opportune moments, but we give it all to him.
What if we gave every single moment of every day to the Lord?
If you gave your facebook account as a gift for God; wrapped it neatly in a fine bow, and handed it to him; how would it change it's contents?
If you gave every effort at your job, mind and/or body to Jesus. Had to look him in the eye and say "I did this for you". Would you work harder? More joyful?
If you made each meal in your home as if God were coming for dinner would there be more love in your labor?
If every word that spilled from your lips were permanently recorded into a fine story for your Heavenly Father to read quietly, while musing over how glad he is that he made you; would you more carefully guard your tongue?
So many of look at this broken world all around us and feel like failures. We feel as if we should always be doing "more". This desire to serve should be there! It's proof that Holy Spirit is still stirring your heart. It, however, should not paralyze us or make us overwhelmed. It should inspire us to make every part of our existing life a pure and living vehicle of praise.
We may only have "2 copper coins" to give (literal or metaphorically), but if we give the entirety of our lives, relationships, speech and actions to Jesus; He can feed a nation on our "2 copper coins". Faith of a mustard seed can move mountains, but only because we give it as an offering to the one who made the mountains. The boy with loaves and fishes had only just that and it would have stayed just that had it not been given to Jesus to truly make something out of it.
Take your brokenness, take your joy, take your communication, take your failures, take your successes, take your time, take the work of your hands, take the words of your mouth, take the physical blessings given to you, take it all, and give it actively back to the Lord.
You will live awe of what he'll do with it.
