saltandlight

And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living. Mark 12:43-44

I think about the poor widow mentioned in Mark often. In our society today, everything seems to revolve around money. We work 40+ hours a week to make money to pay our bills and buy the things we need and let’s be honest, the things we want. We work, we pay bills, we pay taxes, we hopefully pay tithes, we provide for our children (even the grown ones), and we might even have enough to save a little money. It’s a never ending roller coaster ride.

The thing is, the story of the widow is not about the money. It’s about obedience, faith and sacrifice. There were people casting much more money into the treasury than she did. But see, Jesus knew their hearts. He knew that they had plenty and probably could have given even more. This widow, had nothing. Two mites in our currency today would equal a penny. It was not about the amount of money being given. It was the heart with which they were giving.

Imagine being this widow. Put yourself in her place. All you have in this world is a penny. Surely God would understand if you hang on to this little bit that you have in case you need it. Of course He would. But, I personally feel that God told her to give what she had. She was being obedient to Him. That alone takes faith. Faith that if she does this, God will take care of her. He will provide what she needs. And also faith that she is doing what she is supposed to do. When we do what God has told us to do, He will take care of our needs.

It is not about money. We may not have any money to give. But we all have time. We are all allotted 24 hours in a day. How much of our time do we give to Him? Do we surrender the things that we do have to Him? Do we even ask Him about decisions that we need to make? It’s about what is in your heart. This whole story was about her heart. Her actions show us where her heart was at!

Where is your heart? Are you consulting God and waiting for His answer on things? Are you giving all that you have to Him? I don’t mean your money. I mean surrendering everything in your life to God. Allowing Him to lead in every area of your life. Absolute surrender is the key to peace. The world tells us that we have to hustle to get ahead and that we have control of our future. That we have to look out for ourselves because no one else will. Sadly, too many folks, even Christians, live this way. I’ve been guilty of this mindset at times. But we don’t have to. And frankly, it’s exhausting.

Putting your full trust in the Lord will give you such freedom and peace. This is what the widow had. She fully trusted that she was being obedient to God and that He would take care of her. A small story in God’s word that has such a huge impact!

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.