The Chronicles of Biscuit - Stories about our youngest son, Tyler, whose nickname is Biscuit.
Each Sunday, before the collection plate is passed during worship, my husband or I give Biscuit some money for the collection plate. He typically doesn't have money of his own and sure doesn't lately because: #1 - He spends it as quick as he gets it usually and #2 - I've taken what he did have away from him as an incentive to quit biting his fingernails. Thankfully he hasn't mentioned it lately because I've misplaced that envelope! I'll need to search for it soon because he's doing good!
As we got ready to leave for worship Sunday morning, Biscuit announced, "Mom, I'm bringing my own contribution to worship this morning! I don't have much, but it's all I got!" He pulled out a dime from his pocket to show me. I smiled and hugged him and told him I was very proud of him. He smiled a huge smile! It was the first Sunday after his baptism, so he was already excited to be sharing in communion for the first time as a new babe in Christ. Now he was excited about doing something for the Lord all on his own. He had given all he had, financially anyway, to the Lord!
Oh, sometimes the things your children learn and "get" is just an overwhelming feeling of joy....especially when it involves the spiritual side of their lives. The spiritual part, after all, is the very most important part. It's wonderful for them to see for themselves what you've been teaching or perhaps God's Spirit has .
Immediately my mind thought of the widow giving her mite, which is found in Mark 12:42-44 and also in Luke 21:1-4. Here is Mark's account:
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins,[j] worth only a fraction of a penny.
43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
Biscuit has us to support him. He's young and in our care, so it's not to the same degree of giving as this widow gave, but his heart still felt like he was giving everything he had because he has no more money in his room. He felt like giving it all and was glad to do so. He was excited to do so!
What a great lesson for all of us! Just as the widow, we should be willing to give until it hurts. Can you imagine giving everything? All you had to live on? I can't. I really can't imagine.
It's easy to give a sum of money if we have lots left over or even some left over. It's easy to give away things we don't want or were going to through out or get rid of anyway. It's much, much harder to give when we have little or nothing. It's much harder to give until it hurts. It's much harder to give to the Lord first....before the money is all gone. If we wait to give him what's left, there will be nothing left.
We must give cheerfully. We're commanded to do so. We must give as we've been prospered. We have be prospered abundantly, even if we're not wealthy. We truly are wealthy. We just don't believe we are. God will bless us when we give. His promises say so. We just have to have faith to believe He will do what He says He will do.
Give until it hurts! Like Biscuit, give "everything I got"! Like the poor widow, give until it hurts! And do it cheerfully!
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38
On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.
1 Corinthians 16:2
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:7
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