Slaying Dragons: Selfishness — Thursday
Luke 21:3-4
“Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” (NIV)
Giving is often easier when you have an abundance. But when you don’t, justifying generosity is just not that easy. Have you ever said, “If I won the lottery, I’d give so much money to the church,” knowing you haven’t bought a ticket in years? Have you ever sat in church, looked in your wallet, saw a $5 bill, and—knowing that’s the last of your money—put it in anyway? So tough! This is a control issue. We, in our selfishness, want to hold on to what we have as tightly as we can. If we let it go, it may never come back… or we may need it, and then what will we do?
Have you heard the story of the girl with the plastic pearls? Every night, her dad would tuck her in and ask her if he could have her pearls. And every night, she would say, “No, Daddy! They’re mine, and I love them.” So he would say, “Okay,” and leave. One night when her dad came in, the little girl was crying and told her dad, “Here, Daddy… you can have them if you want them!” Her dad hugged her tightly, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a strand of real pearls! The girl was so happy and thanked him with a big hug and kiss. The dad wanted to bless his daughter with something better, if only she’d give up what she was holding on to so tightly.
I get it. Letting go and giving up control when things are tough is a lot to ask. That last little bit of money, that last little bit of food, that last little bit of strength. It could be your home, your job, or your child. God knows you're in need. He also knows that if you turn it over to Him, He can do more with it than you can imagine. Matthew 6:26 says that He takes care of the birds and flowers, and He loves you even more than them. How will He bless you if you just let it go? I wonder how He blessed the woman at the temple.
Thursday’s Reflection
What are you holding on to that you need to let go of? Ask God to show you what it is.