Mark 12:44 “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
You’re probably familiar with the story of the “widow’s mite” in the book of Mark. Some people would say she was foolish to put all she had in the offering. Some might say she stewarded her finances poorly. But I think she wanted to make the best use of her money. She wasn’t looking at the immediate, but the future. She wanted to invest in something bigger than herself, bigger than the now. So she gave it all. And you know what? Jesus commended her. And 2,000 years later this unknown widow is still inspiring people. I would say she got a pretty good bang for her buck…or more like a monumental return for her mite.
Scripture warns us to put our hope in God rather than money. In spite of all its promises of the good life, money will never satisfy us in the long run. Proverbs 23:5 says “Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone” (NIV). So if our sense of security and contentment comes from those riches, they too “sprout wings.” And if we’re driven by our love for money, we risk plunging into all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 4:10). Then, friend, we lose everything.
God has given us all we have—resources, capabilities, opportunities. In our brief moment of stewardship, we can spend it exclusively on ourselves or use it for eternal investments. Make no mistake, heaven records every act of generosity, of kindness, of sacrifice.
We’re now entering the holiday season, but every season is the right season for charity. I remember how my mother never passed a Salvation Army bucket at Christmas without putting in a few coins. She didn’t have a lot, but she had her tithe check ready every Sunday. I believe her willingness to give in small areas actually increased her generous spirit.
So I pray that no matter how much earthly treasure you have, that you give it back to God. Let him lead you into some mite big investments.