Mark 12:41-44
…But this poor woman put in more than all the contributors…
Have you ever felt like you were unqualified for Gods service? Have you ever felt weak? You look around you and you see all these fit men and women of God who are so much more qualified, more equipped than you. Speaking to large groups of people seems to be second nature to them. Some can sing like the angels above. Others can just make a Scripture text come alive. These dear brothers and sisters have been gifted to serve in so many special ways. You think, “I could never do that.” You feel defeated before you even begin. But you know God wants to use you, and you want to be used by Him in His kingdom work. You’ve been called to serve Him, and that’s what you must do. Well, here’s some encouragement for you. When you give your all, it is enough! When your all is a stammering, jumbled testimony and it is done to His glory, God sees it as better than the wisest, most eloquent speech. When that poor widow cast her last two pennies into the temple offering, Christ said she gave more than all the others.
How humbling that must have been for her though. Surrounded by the rich in their elaborate apparel, she probably looked out of place. Many might have looked at her in disgust, or maybe even mocked her as she came, but she was determined to give her offering to God. Clink, clink, and she was done. The money collector may have just scowled and thought, “Why bother?” But Christ saw her offering as an act of great faith. The only one who really matters saw it perfectly for what it was, and He gave it the highest endorsement. When we serve God and we give our all, our best, God sees it for all that it is. He sees what no one else sees; He sees our heart and our sacrifice… and He is pleased. Everything from the world’s point of view suggested the widows offering was nothing, but in truth, her nothing was everything. You may not be the most eloquent and gifted of Gods workers, but when you give your all and offer your service to God, despite what anyone else thinks, God receives it as a sweet-smell.