(Read Matthew 6)
This one has been tugging at me all week. Perhaps the only reason I’m writing this is that God wants to teach me something important. Maybe He’s gently confronting the shallowness of my commitment. I’m not sure yet—but I’m listening. I want to find out. I won’t go into all the details, but I’ll be honest: my wife and I haven’t been giving back to God the way we should. That includes our church, our time, our talents, and even charitable giving to faith-based organizations.
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this 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.”
Mark 12:41-44
In Mark 12:41–44, Jesus praises a widow who gives two small copper coins to the temple—everything she has. Her act is spontaneous and sacrificial, not strategic by worldly standards. Yet Jesus declares her gift greater than all the others. Why? Because she gave out of her poverty, with trust, not from surplus. Her offering, though materially small, reveals a deep faith and profound generosity. It shows that faithful giving is measured not by the amount, but by the depth of sacrifice and the heart behind it.
Her gift also embodies the truth Paul later teaches: “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7)
At the very least, Scripture sets a precedent for giving 10%. This principle even predates the Mosaic Law. Abraham gave a tenth of his spoils to Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18–20), and after his dream at Bethel, Jacob vowed to give God a tenth of all he received if God would be with him and provide for him (Genesis 28:20–22). Later, under the Law, the tithe was formalized: “A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord” (Leviticus 27:30). These are just a few examples among many. While the exact number of verses may vary depending on how one defines financial references, it’s widely acknowledged that Jesus spoke frequently about wealth, possessions, and their impact on a person’s spiritual life and relationship with God.
“The poor think in minutes, the rich in years.”
Anonymous
There’s a quiet but powerful bias that can creep into our thinking, even among well-meaning Christians, that those who live paycheck to paycheck, who focus on immediate needs, or who “lack a plan” are somehow less spiritual than those with the means to think long-term. In contrast, we often admire strategic thinkers, planners, and visionaries as wise, responsible, and even more faithful. But is that really how God sees it?
Billy Graham once said, “Your checkbook is a theological document—it tells you what you really worship.” If that’s true, then in our household, it might reveal a devotion to streaming subscriptions, travel, impulse Amazon purchases, energy drinks, and a whole list of other things.
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:9-11
After Jesus invites us to approach God as “our Father,” reminding us that we are part of a shared spiritual family, He then centers our attention on God’s holiness rather than our needs. Only when our hearts are rightly oriented does our prayer begin to align with God’s greater purposes. “Give us today our daily bread” is a humble, present-tense request, not for luxury, not for future security, but enough for today. This echoes Israel’s experience with manna (Exodus 16) and teaches us that dependence on God is a form of spiritual formation, not a weakness.
How does the Bible view short-term survival thinking, especially when it comes from poverty or hardship? And how should Christians with more stability understand their own privilege in light of God’s Word? Jesus doesn’t tell us to pray for abundance. He teaches us to pray for what we need.
In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus tells us to ask for daily bread—not for the week, not for the year, just for today. When God provided manna to the Israelites in the wilderness, they were instructed to gather only enough for each day. If they had collected more, it would have spoiled by morning (Exodus 16:20). This wasn’t about efficiency. It was about learning to trust God, one day at a time.
There is something sacred about daily dependence. Living day-to-day isn’t always a sign of poor planning. Sometimes, it’s a posture of surrender—especially in seasons when planning ahead isn’t possible.
Jesus Himself lived a life of material simplicity. “Foxes have dens and birds have nests,” He said, “but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.” (Luke 9:58) He experienced hunger, thirst, homelessness, and rejection. And He spent much of His time with the poor, the marginalized, and those simply trying to make it through another day.
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’
“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
Luke 12:16-21
This topic tends to stir up some interesting discussions—where the rubber meets the road. In my view, a right interpretation is that we are called to be stewards of the blessings God has entrusted to us. That means giving generously and joyfully.
Some push back by saying that if we’re merely stewards and not owners, then it should be easier to give—after all, it was never truly ours to begin with. That perspective opens the door to a deeper truth: we should be grateful for what we have and eager to bless others with it, not out of obligation but from gratitude. Generosity isn’t meant to be a transaction. Are we giving because we have to, or because we want to? True generosity reveals a heart stripped of self-interest—naked, honest, and willing. It says more about our relationship with God than a sense of duty ever could. Is our giving a donation or just paying rent?
Compare Jesus’ parable of the widow who gives her last coin with the man in Luke 12:16–21 who builds bigger barns to store his abundance. He tells himself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink, and be merry.” But God calls him a fool. His mistake wasn’t in planning for the future, but in placing his trust in his own security. He was blind to his mortality and to the reality of God’s kingdom.
Tithing isn’t something meant to be publicly displayed or celebrated within a church community. In most churches, even the leaders don’t know how much a specific person or family gives—and that’s a good thing. Our giving is meant to be between us and our Creator. It’s not something to boast about. Public displays of generosity resemble the Pharisees, who made a show of their prayers to impress others. If Jesus tells us to pray in private, it’s reasonable to think He wants our giving to be marked by the same kind of quiet sincerity.
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Matthew 19:21
This is Jesus’ response to the rich young man who claimed to have kept all the commandments. Jesus lovingly reveals the man’s deeper attachment to wealth over God. The command to sell everything wasn’t a universal rule, but a personal challenge meant to expose where his true treasure lay. His trust was in earthly security, not in heaven. Following Jesus isn’t just about outward obedience—it’s about surrender. God doesn’t want mindless rule-followers; He wants hearts that are humble and repentant.
We also need to be careful not to confuse privilege with righteousness. Wealth often comes more easily through education, connections, or generational support—not through greater morality. On the other hand, crisis-mode or short-term thinking is usually a result of hardship, not a lack of faith.
My wife and I are praying fervently, asking God to open our hearts so we can respond more fully to His call to give. This isn’t a dollars-and-cents decision, it’s about trust and faith. Giving to a local church is vitally important and so is supporting neighborhood and international ministries. We’re still a work in progress, but we’re choosing to invest in God’s savings and loan, not our own.
Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.
1 Timothy 6:17–19
Key Applications:
- Don’t judge short-term survival thinking. People facing crisis, trauma, or generational poverty often have to make decisions based on what they can manage today. Jesus didn’t condemn them—He drew near. Are there places in your life where you’ve confused planning with control? Where might God be inviting you to trust instead?
- Use your means to lift others, not to compare. If you have the gift of financial security, use it to help create margin for those who don’t. Open doors. Share wisdom. Give generously. Don’t hoard in your barns—open your hands. “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various form