I have way too much stuff! Vehicles, TVs, and fancy home decorations (that's all Shelli) are just the beginning. By most of the world's standards I'm filthy rich. Let me put it this way...I've got two heat and air systems in my home (one upstairs and one down) but this is not sufficient. I'm so rich that I've got to have a personal heater to set at my side as I search the Internet on one of my two computers just so my fancy toes don't get too cold! If I was honest about it, that would make me look like royalty in most nations.
I can't possibly know what Jesus was talking about in Luke 21:1-4,
“As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
It seems that no matter how much I give to the church, organizations, or families who could use it...I'll always be giving out of my wealth. But there's a part of me that would like to be able to tell Jesus, "I gave all I had...out of my poverty." Please don't get me wrong, I absolutely don't want to give up what God has so graciously blessed my family with. I believe it would be selfish to even think that way. The best I can do is give more through my wealth, God blessed me so I can bless others all the more. But is there somewhere in my life that I can experience what it means to give out of my poverty? Is there a place that I can show Jesus that I don't have much but what I do have is His?
I've attended all different sized churches in my life. One's that range from 100 - 3,000 people. For the most part these churches have been growing, active, and wealthy churches. There's a part of being in these churches that you expect the church to give unselfishly...it would look a little odd if we enjoyed the new basketball gym at church without at least giving to the local food pantry too. But now Shelli and I find ourselves serving in a ministry that is at this point much smaller. As I find myself serving in a church with less people I am finding an opportunity for us to experience giving out of our poverty.
The key to Vimy Ridge Immanuel Baptist's mission is connecting with a surrounding community, a community that this church was built to be the center of. We are to be "Christ centered and community focused." Although we are considered wealthy by financial or status standards we have the opportunity to show Christ that we are willing to give all we have to live on, we are willing to give out of our poverty.
Don't allow a lack of funds or skills to lessen what you bring as an offering to the One who gave it all for you.
