Just then he looked up and saw the rich people dropping offerings in the collection plate. Then he saw a poor widow put in two pennies.He said, “The plain truth is that this widow has given by far the largest offering today.  All these others made offerings that they’ll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn’t afford—she gave her all!”

Luke 21:1-4

In this story, we see true faith in action!  We see the widow woman whose trust in God empowers her to “forsake all” as she knows the true source of her life!

It’s not the size of an offering or gift that gets God’s attention; it’s the size of one’s trust that moves Him.  “Forsaking All” is not about the momentary sacrifices, it is about consistently living a life that is completely invested in knowing God and making Him known. It is a life that has surrendered all of one’s rights and ownership to the One who is the owner of all things and always does what is right and good, because you trust Him to care for you in all things.

In this story the rich represented those with an abundance who served God on their terms. They represented those who had the ability to be greatly used to influence and touch many, with the wealth of resources granted to them.  But their abundance hindered them instead of enlarging them. They served God out of the leftover instead of the overflow.

As you forge ahead today, take the time to evaluate the measure of your giving.  Do you live a sacrificial life that communicates a life that has forsaken all because of your trust and love for Him?  Or is God getting what’s leftover and safe.  What wealth of resources and talents has God placed within you?  How are you using them to expand His purposes so that none will perish?  Do the decisions you make with the resources you have communicate a heart that serves from a place of consecration or from a place of convenience?  Both of these describe a heart that has “forsaken all,” one for God and the other for self.

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.

Romans 12:1