“Give To The Lord With A Humble And Thankful Spirit!”

“Give To The Lord With A Humble And Thankful Spirit!”
Dolly Paton tells the story of her coat of many colours which her momma made for her. Though made from rags she wore it so proudly. They were poor but she was as rich as she coild be in her coat of many colours.
When she got to school the others started laughing and making fun of her.
And here are the catch phrases: “I couldn’t understand it for I felt I was rich. And I told them of the love my momma sewed in every stitch. And I told ’em all the story momma told me while she sewed. And how my coat of many colours was worth more than all their clothes… Now I know we had no money, but I was as rich as I could be…”
Dolly’s school mates concentrated on looking at the outside. And all they saw was the coat of many colours, the patches on her britches and the holes in both her shoes. So they laughed and made fun of her.
But they failed to see what was put in when the coat was being sown. They didn’t see the love Dolly’s momma sewed in every stitch. In their blindness they didn’t understand, but she tried to make them see that one is only poor only if the choose to be.
Poverty is a state of the mind.
We all are like Dolly’s schoolmates who focus attention on the outside while ignoring the beauty which lies within. When the rich make their offerings and donations we clap and cheer, but when the donations of the poor are announced there is silence.
In comparing the two categories Jesus teaches that “the poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything – all she had to live on”((Mk.12:41-44).
Indeed, it is not the quality or quantity of the gift that makes it precious; it is the nontangible content behind the gift that makes it precious.
Paul told the Corinthians, “For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have”(II Cor.8:12). What matters is the willingness, no matter how small the amount that can be afforded.
The sad part is that some people misuse this “widow’s mite” adage. After they have wasted their resources on vainless pursuits, they come and offer the remains and call it widow’s mite. That is not acceptable!
Bottomline is that the Lord is pleased with the motive behind the gift than the face value of the gift. It is not as if the giving of the rich are being undermined. Far from it, it is the spirit behind the giving that counts. Giving with pride as the many rich people did devalues the offering. Notice that the story talks of the place where offerings were put. Jesus watched the crowd putting their money. Many rich people threw in large amounts. The poor widow came and put. In concluding Jesus said she put more, while the others gave out of their wealth.
The point here is that there is a difference between put, throw and give. We throw away what is valueless, but we put with reverence what we value and to whom we respect. No matter how much your offering is, learn to put it in the offering basket, do not throw it. That is called reverence and God is pleased with that.
Prayer: Holy Spirit help me to give to the Lord with a humble and thankful heart full of love. Amen!
Have a blessed day! Peace be with you!
Babila Fochang.