The Gift of You
“The Gift You”
“But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.”
Matthew 6:3-4
We are never more like Jesus than when we love and love is never more evident than when we sacrificially give. Giving in love is just one of the distinguishing marks of a disciple of Christ. I am blessed to pastor a church of givers. It isn’t the amount that people give that matters most, it’s the heart behind the giving that speaks the loudest. In the truest sense the best gifts we can offer to God and to others is when we give ourselves. Proof, the real treasure is the relationship, not the item we offer.
Consider the cute story of the chicken and the pig who decided one morning to fix a birthday breakfast for the owner of the farm in which they lived. The chicken suggested that each bring something to celebrate the farmers special day. The chicken offered to bring some eggs and asked the pig to bring some bacon to which the pig responded. “Your gift will cost you little while my gift will cost me all”. There is a difference in our giving and the giving that speaks volumes is when we give our all. After all, isn’t that what Jesus did when He went to Calvary’s Cross for me and you? He gave His all.
The next time you think your giving isn’t significant and no one notices take special note of the story in Mark 12 about the “widows mite” and it will warm your soul as Jesus is very in tune with sacrifice that is done in love. Mark’s gospel tells us about a woman who comes and drops what is known as a “widows mite” into the trumpet. The trumpet was the metal offering box that when a person dropped their offering into it a sound was made as the coins dropped through its many channels. The bigger the coin the more noise the offering made. A widows mite was very small, equal to about 1/16 of a penny and the smallest coin of its day known as a ‘Lepton’, which means, “the thin one”. The point is this, beloved of God; when the woman dropped her gift into the box it hardly made a sound, no one even noticed it, no one except Jesus. Jesus hears what no one else does. He hears what others ignore; Jesus hears what no one is listening for. Over all the noise in the market place and all the people gathered there Jesus heard this tiny sound and it blessed Him so.
I share this story with you to encourage you that though you might feel small and insignificant, unnoticed by the world around you, the Lord sees you and He hears the gifts you offer to Him and others in love. It’s not the amount ever that impresses the Lord, it’s the heart behind the gift that matters. The widow in Mark’s story may have had little but what she had the Lord rewarded and He caused to endure. Her story is still being told some 2000 years later, proof that a little goes a long way with Jesus!
The sound of sacrifice is always a beautiful sound in the ears of God. This widow gave her best and though it was little in comparison to what others might have offered, the Lord was blessed by her gift because though she gave little, she gave her all. That’s the key to giving, loved one, when you and I give our all, because when all is said and done its not the amount of the gift that people remember, they remember the heart, the sacrifice and the love in which we give. Yes, loved one, you give your best, when you give your all!
“But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”
Hebrews 13:6
I LOVE YOU!
“But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.”
Matthew 6:3-4
We are never more like Jesus than when we love and love is never more evident than when we sacrificially give. Giving in love is just one of the distinguishing marks of a disciple of Christ. I am blessed to pastor a church of givers. It isn’t the amount that people give that matters most, it’s the heart behind the giving that speaks the loudest. In the truest sense the best gifts we can offer to God and to others is when we give ourselves. Proof, the real treasure is the relationship, not the item we offer.
Consider the cute story of the chicken and the pig who decided one morning to fix a birthday breakfast for the owner of the farm in which they lived. The chicken suggested that each bring something to celebrate the farmers special day. The chicken offered to bring some eggs and asked the pig to bring some bacon to which the pig responded. “Your gift will cost you little while my gift will cost me all”. There is a difference in our giving and the giving that speaks volumes is when we give our all. After all, isn’t that what Jesus did when He went to Calvary’s Cross for me and you? He gave His all.
The next time you think your giving isn’t significant and no one notices take special note of the story in Mark 12 about the “widows mite” and it will warm your soul as Jesus is very in tune with sacrifice that is done in love. Mark’s gospel tells us about a woman who comes and drops what is known as a “widows mite” into the trumpet. The trumpet was the metal offering box that when a person dropped their offering into it a sound was made as the coins dropped through its many channels. The bigger the coin the more noise the offering made. A widows mite was very small, equal to about 1/16 of a penny and the smallest coin of its day known as a ‘Lepton’, which means, “the thin one”. The point is this, beloved of God; when the woman dropped her gift into the box it hardly made a sound, no one even noticed it, no one except Jesus. Jesus hears what no one else does. He hears what others ignore; Jesus hears what no one is listening for. Over all the noise in the market place and all the people gathered there Jesus heard this tiny sound and it blessed Him so.
I share this story with you to encourage you that though you might feel small and insignificant, unnoticed by the world around you, the Lord sees you and He hears the gifts you offer to Him and others in love. It’s not the amount ever that impresses the Lord, it’s the heart behind the gift that matters. The widow in Mark’s story may have had little but what she had the Lord rewarded and He caused to endure. Her story is still being told some 2000 years later, proof that a little goes a long way with Jesus!
The sound of sacrifice is always a beautiful sound in the ears of God. This widow gave her best and though it was little in comparison to what others might have offered, the Lord was blessed by her gift because though she gave little, she gave her all. That’s the key to giving, loved one, when you and I give our all, because when all is said and done its not the amount of the gift that people remember, they remember the heart, the sacrifice and the love in which we give. Yes, loved one, you give your best, when you give your all!
“But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”
Hebrews 13:6
I LOVE YOU!
Recent
Archive
2021
January
Test PositiveHow Not To ForgetYour Best Year EverRelationship Over RulesKeep The Main Thing The Main ThingBonding FiresTake Me To ChurchWeight Gain Is GoodNot Seeing Is Believing Everything You Need To KnowLove Wins!Servants Not Slaves8 P's and 7 B'sWhat The World Needs NowThe World Is Falling... Into Place10 Minutes That Change The World
2020
January
February
March
Why We Can Be FriendsBe What You Want Other's To BeThere Is A Song In Your HeartThe Afterward of FailureWhy God WhispersDon''t Worry, Be Happy!I Can See Clearly NowI'm In It For The Long HaulTrade In Your Fears For PeaceDaddy Hold YouThe EndA Guy Can't Just Sit AroundThe Birthday Boy!Worry Never WorksPromises PromisesTwenty Inches From BlissFit From HomeThe Silver Lining of SufferingThe Gift of PainDo Not Be Afraid
April
Two Tickets To ParadiseI'll Trade YouNo Substitute For TrustOur Greatest NeedHope DispensersYour Finest HourDreams Do Come True!How To Survive A PandemicFeeling ChippieThe Good In Good Friday!The Dark Before The DawnHow Stars Are BornOne A Day, And Leap Year Too!Please, Breathe On MeYou Can't Afford To WorryChristmas In AprilAre You Jesus?Comfort FoodSocial DistancingNew NormalThe Beauty of SelflessnessThrive Not SurviveDon't Ask Why Ask WhatEmpty Is GoodI Miss Your FaceGet Out Of Jail Free
May
Marriage IS WorkYou Are EssentialThe DestinationCourage Looks Like LoveLive The AmenRelentlessYou're Never AloneOpen For BusinessYour're ContagiousGod's Got Big EarsHigher EducationA Season, A Reason, A LifetimeTo Grope Is DopeYou PickWomen Like GodMaking A DifferenceOne Way LoveBlessed To BlessPeople God Uses
June
How To Defeat RacismDon't Be An AnimalJesus IS The AnswerBefore Not AfterDreams Do Come True!ImagineTell It Like It Can BePeace MakersHold OnThe Name Above ALL NamesThe Real You!Don\'t Lose Your PassionA Tale of Four Father\'sJust Do It For Jesus!IfIn or Out?Stay FocusedPriorities MatterGod's Green Thumb
July
August
Whistle While You WorkDon't Worry, Be Happy!Holy Moly, Just Look At You!You Can Do Hard ThingsJoy Is On The Way!Why Not Me?What's Your Backstory?ForgivenessJesus Is Our RainbowJesus In, Jesus OutThe 7 Factors of FriendshipBecause of YouLord, Teach Me To PrayHopeless End or Endless Hope?The Stress RelieverDefining MomentsA Supernaturally Scheduled DayWho's In Your Boat?
September
Hang In There 5 Minutes More!You Can Do It!What You See is What You GetMountains Were Made To ClimbLet Go, Let GodThe Third OptionWhat Will You Be?Better Than New!You Are A Best Seller!Heaven On EarthPray, Don't PreyTo love Is To ObeyIf I Could Live My Life Over AgainLet It Shine!Need A Hug?A Beautiful MessRun Through The TapeCause and EffectLife Is The PitsJust Say Yes
October
How To Have A RevivalLord, Teach Us To PrayBroken and BeautifulWhy God WhispersDig DeepThings Are Not As They AppearChildlike FaithGreat JobWhat On Earth Am I Here ForSafe In God's HandYou Be JesusYou Never Have To Advertise A FireRetraining ElephantsMission PossibleGo Nuts Today!Don't Hide The CracksOne Step AheadWho's Your Caddy?THINKPeter's Favorite PsalmFound Together
November
Success Through FailureNo FearAgainst All OddsGod Works For You But Not For YouThe Worship of TearsThank God For FleasHow To Thank A VeteranSoar Like An EagleOne Out Of TenHow To Get Through A StormCling OnKeep SwingingChoose Winning!The BlessingLessons From My Washing MachineHow To Put Happy Into Your ThanksgivingWe Exist To AppreciateThe Gift That Keeps On Giving
December
Peace On EarthHope In The DarkLessons From Long LinesHe's Making A List And Checking It TwiceKeep Rolling!You Have A ReservationWhen Heaven Met EarthThe Great Gift ExchangeA Thrill of HopeThe Real DealThe Perfect GiftFace Your FearsWinning Over WorryStability From A StableThe "awe" of HeavenJoy That LastsMessage From The MangerChristmas In Three WordsLook Up Not ForwardJust Because
2019
February
Heavenly RemindersThings Are Not Always As They AppearZihuatanejoSatisfied Wanting MoreGet In The Game!Always The Nails, Never The HammerA Four Footed EnemyAll InWhat's Love Got To Do With It?Lessons From A LeperLessons From A Former LeperNo MatchYour Mess Is Your MessageLessons From Your GPS"Ooooo ooooo ohoohohoo"Jesus MarveledShe Walks In BeautyShaken or Stirred?Bring The Rain
March
I Can't Love You AnymoreThe Gift of AttentivenessWha't Outside Your Tent?I'll Carry YouIt’s Worth The PainWorship On The BrainA Door of HopeGet Busy LivingHow Knowledge Becomes Power Please Do Not DisturbNew Normal5 Minutes LongerOur Conquering KingA Matter of PerspectiveAge Old WisdomFaith Your FearsThe Best Day Of Your Life… Starts Now!Who Grace Looks LikeHow To Have Lifetime JoyTo Know You Is To Love YouMistaken Identity
April
Life After The End Of The RopeLet's Get RealWhy God Made MountainsForgive And ForgetLoving You Is EasySweetly Broken Keep The Main Thing The Main ThingKnow God Know PeaceWisdom Never Gets OldOut of the WhirlwindMonday: A Pure and Holy PassionTuesday: The Passion Of JesusThe Passion Week: WednesdayJesus Love From Head To ToeFriday: The Passion JesusThe Ta-da of HeavenWhat's The World Coming To?A Love InvasionThe Gift of YouI'm With You AlwaysHow Is Your Balance?Bring The Rain
May
In Regards To HeavenHope WinsIshteeLove Is A VerbFinishing WellYour New Favorite BookGod Has No GrandchildrenCrossing GuardsYou Were Made For MomentsLiving Like A Rock StarA Wonder Filled DayLess is MoreAll Washed UpIf Your Child Goes Astray... Pray!Like Parent Like ChildBring Back The KingWith God You ARE The MajorityJesus IS EnoughWe Will RememberYou Are Stronger Than You ThinkEscape ArtistsYou Can't Back Into Your FutureThe Worship of Tears
June
For HankGod's 'GPS'A Friend Like YouDesire Discipline DelightDesire, Discipline, DelightYou Be JesusYour WorthA Living Love StoryThe Gift of GraceThe Power of AmenA Dad For All SesonsStuck On YouJust OneI Hope You DanceIt's Your Turn To ShineGlorious Day!Ancient Social MediaA Door of HopeLiving Like JesusPlease, Don't Shoot The Messenger!
July
Flawed Instruments Glorify GodHelp Is On The WayMay You Always Remain As You Are TodayOne Nation Under GodDivine AppointmentsDon't Trip Over Your PastWho's Counting?ShineLove Is A VerbBig Shoes To FillYou Never Have To Advertise A FireLet The Walls Fall DownOne Small Step, One Giant LeapOur God Rocks!Stirred To ActionThe Power of LoveTo Know Him Is To Love HimJesus Loves Pizza
August
September
October
Broken and BeautifulIn The Hands of The PotterRecognitionExtraordinarily OrdinaryBonded By A BonfireColor EverywhereWords To Live ByThe Best of MeJust Say YesChoose HappyThe Best Weekend Ever!Three Yet OneJust KISSGame ChangerHow To Beat An Escape RoomIt's What's Inside That CountsWhen Longer Isn't Long EnoughThe Whisperer
November
The Healing Power of a HugA Work In ProgressThe Best Day of Your Life Starts... NowYou Have Beautiful EyesLord, Teach Me To PrayFive Star FaithDebt Free LivingWhen Close Isn't Close EnoughHave I Got Something Just For You!Perfect In Any LightYour Strength Is Your WeaknessIt's Only A TestYou're Living An Adventure
Slow The PaceThe Art of AppreciationLasting MemoriesBlack Friday Saved My Life
Categories
no categories