Sacrificial Giving
Sacrificial Giving
[Jesus said,] “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions.”
Mark 12:43
A friend once confided in me these wise words:
I often do things for people I don’t know. I’m not doing it for praise or to look good. I do it because I know if I were in their shoes, it would be a huge blessing. We often experience a very tight budget, and I know what it feels like to worry about how much gas I have in the car, or whether we have enough groceries to get us through until next payday. We have also been blessed with times of plenty, and even though we don’t have “extra,” we have more than many, so I often sacrifice to give some to others.
For my friend, her husband, and their four children, their own hard times as a family have spurred them to help others. So they’ve bought groceries for families who are struggling to make ends meet, brought meals for the homeless, and purchased Christmas presents for other families—all because they know what it’s like to be in a position where life feels a little precarious.
There’s a story about giving that Jesus tells in the Gospel of Mark. Observing rich people who put large amounts of money in the collection box, Jesus then sees a poor widow drop just two small coins inside the box. Gathering his disciples, he tells them that the poor widow has given more than the rich people have, because they are giving just a small portion of what they have while she is giving all she has to live on.
Perhaps the widow, like my friend, gave more because she knew firsthand what it’s like to live on less. She knew what empty cupboards and a slim income feel like when you’re raising a family amid job transitions and financial difficulties. It’s a sacrificial kind of giving. Yet it honors God when we are faithful in times of plenty and in times of want, when we give from sincere hearts.
— Today’s Act of Kindness —
Find a way to give sacrificially, whether it’s a gift of money, time, or talents.
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