Read Luke 21:1-4 Early on in our church, there was a family that came that struggled financially and were facing some tough battles. They came to church and several people at church would help them out with groceries and different things like that. One day, though, when another family picked them up to take them to church, they asked to stop at a store real quick. This family who was struggling bought a few snacks and some drinks to give away with our refreshments that morning. They said the church had done so much for them that they wanted to do something in return. To this day, this act of generosity stands out to me. It wasn’t impressive because the snacks or pepsi they bought were amazing. It was impressive because they were generous even in the midst of their struggle. It was a great sacrifice. One day, when Jesus was in the temple, he saw a number of rich people putting their gifts into the offering. These people were undoubtedly drawing attention as they poured large sums of money into the treasury. Amidst all of this, though, an older lady walked up. She was a widow, and, in those days, it would have been hard for a woman who lost her husband to get by. The widow put two small copper coins into the offering. Jesus stopped and noticed the woman. He says that the poor widow had put in more money than all the others had. While the others clearly physically put more money in, Jesus said she had put in more money because she had given out of her poverty while all the others had given out of their wealth. She had given all she had. It’s not the amount of money we give that impresses God. It’s the amount of sacrifice we make with our generosity that gets God’s attention. Generosity is more than just giving money. How we give our money, or how we hold onto it, is a great indicator of how generous and selfless we are. Generosity begins in the heart, and we must examine how generous we are in all areas of our life. How selfless are we? How much are we sacrificing? Do we give sacrificially? Or, do we only give out of our abundance? Reflect God honors sacrifice. In what areas do you feel God is wanting you to step up your sacrifice? Pray Ask God to help you give sacrificially whether that means giving to church, helping others, or, generally, how you treat and serve others throughout your day. // TWO-A-DAYS // GO A LITTLE FARTHER WITH YOUR DAILY DEVOTIONS // Go through these questions with your spouse, kids, or friend, or you can even journal about the answers to these questions:
- What was the best part of your day?
- What was the toughest part of your day?
- Where did you mess up today?
- Where did you see God today?
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