Being a believer in Jesus Christ — learning the Bible and doing my best to apply it to my daily life — is a very important part of my identity. As a professional, I make ends meet by working in Accounting and Finance for an industrial service company whose primary customers are the airlines. As these two identities meld, they create in me a unique perspective when approaching God’s principles on stewardship and how I use the resources — financial and otherwise — He blesses me with. 

Working in Accounting and Finance often puts blinders on the way I see things. For example, my perspective on spending is a means to an end, often with the approach that spending should have a purpose — to either bring value or to provide necessities, rather than spending for the sake of spending. There should be no waste, but an intentional act that produces a result. This perspective has been reinforced during this season of COVID-19 when so many have had their income impacted, whether from being furloughed from work, down-sized, or reductions in pay, etc.

During this challenging season, when so many of us have experienced various amounts of loss, it would be easy to respond with fear and hold back on any type of giving. But my perspective continues to shift when I think about God and His continuous generosity towards me. It influences how I respond and brings me to the realization that the amount of my giving is not what is important. It is how I give. Am I giving with a glad heart?  

The Bible says we should give by faith to our Lord. We should trust that God always provides. Mark 12: 4-44 reads, “ Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”

We see our Lord teaches His disciples the faithfulness and trust of the widow. She did not look at her circumstance when giving. She did not choose to skip giving this week. She did not become concerned that others were able to give more than she could. She gave to the Lord with trust and a glad heart. She apparently understood the abundant life God promised through what the Word says in Jeremiah 17:7, “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.” I have no doubt that if our Savior saw this and used it as a teaching moment, this widow was blessed. I know this lesson is something we can all learn from, whether we are regular givers and facing hard times or simply questioning what to do next.  Please know giving is not only monetary. Giving is something that generously flows from your heart. It is extending compassion for someone that disagrees with your point of view; forgiving someone who has wronged you; donating your time; choosing to mentor, or anything that God has given you that you can give back to the Lord by blessing someone else.

Helpful Resources

Joyce Meyers, Unshakeable Trust: Finding the Joy of Trusting God at All Times, In All Things, Hachette Book Group, Inc., 2017

Max Lucado, You’ll Get Through This: Hope and Help for Your Turbulent Times, Thomas Nelson, 2015