How Much Should I Give?

What or who are you trusting right now to change your life, restore your hope or to ease your pain? So often we are like rebellious children who wander away from God in search of something or someone whom we can trust. We turn to money, relationships, power or adventure. We turn to food or our work, only to discover that they offer only temporary help and empty promises.

Maybe we can look at that lone coin in our pocket and see what is written on it: In God we trust. Maybe that can be a reminder that we can’t put our trust in another person. We can’t trust silver and gold, power or prestige. Only one is worthy of our trust and that is God. God gives us a promise no one else can give—forgiveness of our sins. From God’s gracious hand comes all that we have. Truly what he asks from us is little compared to the riches we have received.

What motivates your giving? Is there a difference between what you give to organizations versus what you give to your church?

This story from Mark is one I have always loved hearing and reading over and over. What stands out to me is that this woman put everything she had, all she had to live on, into the treasury box. What motivated her to give her all? We don’t know anything about her, just that she was a poor widow.

Consider that time when this story took place. It was far different for a widow back then. It was a patriarchal society. There were no social programs, food stamps, social security or food pantries. Even with all the safety nets we have in place today, there are people who fall through the cracks. But in the first century there were no safety nets.

Although we don’t know details about this widow, we see in this brief passage that she was extremely generous despite her meager resources. Her actions were extremely trusting, as she had little or nothing to sustain her for the next day.

Perhaps as she was giving her money, her heart was reciting Psalm 146: “Happy are those whose help is in the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God…who gives food to the hungry…lifts up those who are bowed down.”

In the temple, there were large metal receptacles used to receive donations. They were shaped like a trumpet with a large opening to receive the coins that funneled down into a narrower opening, depositing the money into the offering box. The official reason for having a shape like this was that it was easy to toss your coins in and not miss the opening. However, there was probably also an unofficial reason: a larger donation made more noise, causing more attention, so it was noticed by others.

Which brings us back to the beginning of this scripture where Jesus denounces the scribes: “Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes…they devour widows’ houses.” It certainly does not sound as though the religious leaders were providing any kind of safety net for the poor and needy of the day.

Did you know that there are over 2,000 verses in scripture that deal with finances? Luke tells us that we cannot serve two masters. We cannot serve God and wealth (Luke 16: 10-15) Matthew tells us not to store up treasure here on earth (Matthew 6: 19-21) and that we should “strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” (Matthew 6:33)

We are stewards of all that the Lord has given us. He has put us in his beautiful creation, surrounded us with people who care, and given us a purpose to fulfill. So, we can prayerfully talk with our heavenly father and determine how we can give back.

Max Lucado tells a story in his book “When God Whispers Your Name.” I paraphrase it here. Consider the act of writing a check for your offering at church. First you write the date, and, in so doing, you are reminded that you are a time-bound creature. Every possession you have will rust or burn. Best to share it while you can.

Then you enter the name of the one to whom you are giving the money. If the bank would cash it, you would write GOD. Next comes the amount. When we enter this amount, we are really making a confession that God owns everything anyhow. Down in the lower left corner you write what that check is for. It’s for outreach, salaries, light and heat bills. But yet, it’s a partial payment for how the church helps you raise your family, to keep your priorities sorted out, to feel his ever-nearness. This check is for you because as you write it, you clip yet another strand from the rope of earth so that you won’t be so tied up when the Lord returns.

In all that we do and say, in all that we give, may we show our gratitude, our trust and our generosity.