Give When It Hurts

“When he looked up he saw some wealthy people putting their offerings into the treasury and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins. He said, ‘I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.’” (Luke 21:1-4)

This is a really challenging message to hear from the Gospels — give when it hurts.

Today, giving often means writing a check or setting up automatic donations, and then not really thinking about it. Less to mentally juggle is better, right? 

Sometimes tithing puts a strain on family finances, but certainly not the same strain the woman from Luke’s Gospel experienced.

So, does that mean we need to give away more of our livelihood? Maybe, but we can’t neglect our financial duties to our own families. Indeed, it’s a serious problem if we shirk these responsibilities as husbands and fathers.

What do we do then? Well, remember that giving can mean giving money, but we can also give our time. Regardless of an individual's financial wealth, giving time hurts. I could be doing ________ instead! How inconvenient. What a waste of time. No matter who you are, you only have twenty four hours in a day. 

The answer to giving will look different for each of us, but it’s a question we need to ponder. Consider what is most valuable to you — time or money — and offer it up to the Lord, His Church, and the less fortunate.