Session 7

What motivates you to give?

From The Overflowing Life: A 14-Day Devotional

It’s easy to share when we have lots to give. But how generous are we when there’s one brownie left in the pan? You know it’s love when you’ll let someone have the last bite of dessert or the last piece of your favorite candy.

That’s what made the widow’s offering so significant. Others gave out of their abundance. The amount of their giving was small against their total wealth. The widow’s amount was large against her total income. Where others were giving from a full pan of brownies, she was willing to part with the last one.

The widow’s mentality wasn’t, “If I had more, I’d give more.” Her attitude was, “God has met my needs and will meet my needs, so I will give in response.” The widow gave like someone who knows God has given her all things and who trusts God with everything.

Her offering was more than a donation. It was the kind of sacrifice you willingly make for someone you love. Knowing her situation, Jesus commends her faith. But notice Jesus didn’t say, “She demonstrated more faith.” He said, “She put in more.”

This is God’s miraculous economy. When we act in faith, what we put in becomes more. We know it’s faith-fueled giving when we’re not giving based on what we can do, but based on what God can do.

God is moved by our response to Him. He multiplied the widow’s offering in ways she probably never knew. And this supernatural multiplication still happens today. When we give out of the overflow of our love for God — not what we hope He’ll do for us in return — God multiplies our efforts.

Reflect:

• Have you ever seen God multiply what felt like a small offering on your part? What happened?
• How did that experience change your understanding of God’s economy?
• Think about the areas where you serve and give. Are you giving in response to what God has given you or in expectation of what He will do for you? How do you tell the difference?