Jesus sat across from the offering box and watched. Not the amounts, but the hearts. Not the size of the gifts, but the size of the sacrifice. And it wasn’t the wealthy or the influential who caught His attention. It was a poor widow placing two small coins, everything she had to live on.
That moment wasn’t about money. It was about devotion.
And today, it forced me to take a hard look in the mirror. I’m so thankful for a loving God that would show me exactly what I need to see.
Over the last four months, life has pulled harder than it ever has before. Truly, harder than EVER before. The pressure, the pace, the planes, the pain. I’ve felt it in my body. I’ve seen it in my home. I’ve watched it ripple through my family. I’ve tried to keep going, to lead with strength, to maintain some illusion of control. Sometimes I pull it off well. Other times, not at all…
But the truth is: I’ve been offering scraps. Not in all places, but often where it matters the most:
Scraps to my wife.
Scraps to my children.
Scraps to myself.
And God sees it. Not in judgement, but in love. Because He knows that scraps are not what I was made for. And they’re not what I’ve been called to give.
The widow gave everything she had to live on. Not the leftovers. Not what was safe. She gave all of herself. And somewhere in this story this morning, I found my own piece of understanding.
I was on the edge of backing out of a trip we’ve planned for two years. Not because I didn’t want to go, but because I thought I couldn’t afford the time. And then it truly hit me this morning: time is the most valuable currency I have right now. Not money. Not connections. Not performance. Time. And how I give it reveals what I truly worship and how deep my faith really extends.
Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God and love others. But that only works if I also learn to love myself. That doesn’t mean self-centeredness. It means giving myself the gift of presence. The gift of rest. The gift of alignment.
How many of us really need to learn how to love ourselves?
What if when Jesus said, “the poor will always be with you,” He wasn’t just talking about money?
What if He meant the poor in spirit will always be among us?
The poor in priorities.
The poor in understanding.
The poor in presence.
That’s what makes the sacrifice so sacred. Because giving real time, real attention, real love…it’s going to cost us something. And if it doesn’t cost anything, it might not mean anything.
This is the ruthless truth: scraps are not enough. Not for my family. Not for my calling. Not for my God.
And not for me.
No more rations. I’m done holding back the best of what God has given me to steward. It’s time to give all I have to live on.
Time.
Attention.
Love.
Faith.
Everything.
And, an incredible moment with my family where I will be fully present.
Mark 12:41-44
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