“I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.” Luke 21:3-4

In Luke 21, Jesus saw the wealthy donating some of their surplus money, then he marveled at a poor widow who gave just two coins. Those two coins weren’t much, but they represented her entire livelihood. Jesus was proud of that poor widow because she gave Him all she had out of love.

The fact is that God is God. He created everything and needs for nothing, but He completes His heavenly works through us. We are to be extensions of his guiding and caring hands here on earth. We are to serve Him with all we are, not just what we have materially.

Take a tip from the saints. Most of us can’t do big things for God, so do small things, but with great love. Those small things can include everything you do when you offer them up to God. The Apostle Paul said in the book of Romans to “Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice.” That’s a common theme you’ll see through the Bible. When we are living and acting with God in mind, even when we fall short of our best, it still endears us to God’s heart.

Don’t think for a second that you in your own life can’t do great things for the Lord. For instance, being an attentive and caring mom is one of the most noble tasks in His kingdom. Offer it up to God. Working hard day in and day out can also be a great task when it’s done to help your family or to help others. Offer it up. Even simply giving someone a sincere compliment or a kind word is a blessing that will reap great rewards. Offer it up. Those things may seem small or average to you, but they resonate in the minds and hearts of those you do them for.

One good thing to remember is that your blessings will be magnified if you do them when it’s not convenient or when you don’t really feel like doing them. Jesus didn’t feel like going to the cross, but He did it for the good of everyone. He offered Himself as a sacrifice. Consider your good deeds as a living sacrifice. And like the Nike commercial says, “Just do it.”

And lastly, a passage from 1 Peter 4:12-13 says, “Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad, for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.”

How many of us go through tough times or rough patches in our lives and ask God why? The fact is that there will be suffering in your life. If you haven’t suffered loss or pain yet, just stay tuned. However, it is much better to suffer for the right reasons than the wrong reasons. Don’t give yourself over to sin and suffer for your failings. Instead, give your heart to God and suffer for doing what’s right. Stand up for those who can’t fight for themselves. Speak against evil in all of its forms. Preach the good news of Jesus Christ to this fallen world. Help people at every opportunity, even if they don’t know or don’t care. In the end, it’s really not between you and them anyway. It’s between you and God, so offer it up. Christ offered His work up for those people too, whether they know it, like it, or acknowledge it. He did it out of love and what better reason is there for anything we do?

So when you do anything for the good of others, offer up your heart and all you do to God. I promise that God sees your secret intentions and will reward you for them openly.

God’s blessings to you.

DH