But It Doesn’t Seem like Enough To Bother With

Luke 21:1-4

A couple of years ago, on the Television program, The Apprentice, two well known entertainers were in charge of raising money for a charity to help homeless veterans. The man who raised the most money was declared the better manager. As I watched , and thought about what happened, I concluded that in reality, the scoring was wrong.

The Country and Western singer worked to contact thousands of ordinary people who sent as much as they could, and became involved with personally assisting veterans in their home town. Several of his acquaintances in the music field donated items for the auction, or came and bid for the items. Several also held special concerts and donated the proceeds.

The other man came from a very wealthy background. He called a couple of his well known rich friends for donations to the auction. He contacted another friend who is the CEO of a multinational corporation to bid at the auction.

The final day. The Country singer had invited a number of veterans to take part, though they couldn’t afford the tickets. He also had a room full of other people. The winner, on the other hand, simply had a check for tickets for a large group who didn’t bother to come. The CEO made such high opening bids for the things the second man had gotten donated that no one else could even bid. Naturally, Donald Trump fired the Country singer because he didn’t raise as much money.

In reality, the winner only had to contact half a dozen personal friends for help. They could get huge tax write offs and national recognition for giving such a huge amount. The same amount of advertizing using normal means would have cost far more, and would not have been tax deductible, so they mad money by doing it, while not having get involved at all.

The country singer, on the other hand had to contact hundreds of people and inspire them to get involved. Most of them received no national exposure or free advertising, and many became personally involved with helping the veterans, raising awareness of their fans with their concerts. Though he raised less money, he did far more to help the veterans. Too often we judge on the basis of outward appearance without looking to see what is really happening.

“And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.” (Luke 21:1-4)

The disciples discounted the little boy’s lunch as useless to feed five thousand men, yet it was enough to feed them and have twelve baskets full left over, but what if he’d refused to give it? The actual physical size of what is given is meaningless when God is involved. What is important is the heart attitude. II Corinthians 8:12 declares, “For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.” It is an ungodly attitude that values the apparent size of the gift more than the intent.

Down through the years I have repeatedly heard about how much a certain person gave up to serve the Lord. The man who gabe up a successful medical practice or athletic career has not given up any more than the man who gave up a job repairing cars. Both have given up their chosen lifestyles to please God. If they haven’t, according to Luke 14:33, “…whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”

Rather than thinking we don’t have enough to give, we need to realize it is what God has given us to use for him. I Corinthians 7:17 instructs, “But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.” We are not to obligate people to give, but to allow them to give freely as they choose, according to II Corinthians 9:7. “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

I Peter 4:10 commands, “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” We are just to make use of what God has given us. It is what he wanted us to use so he will get the glory. When some one gives something big, usually he gets the credit rather than God, although we might say “praise the Lord” as a token show of appreciation. Paul reminded the Corinthians of the giving of the Macedonians.

“Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;” (II Corinthians 8:1-3)

People who have given a little regularly are often amazed at how much it amounts to at the end of the year.