You are referring to an incident Jesus and His disciples witnessed one day in the Temple in Jerusalem. On that occasion, “a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny” (Mark 12:42). Others, however, put in much more – while making sure people were looking so they’d be praised for their generosity.

But Jesus didn’t praise them; He commended the widow instead. Why? One reason was because she – unlike the others – wasn’t trying to impress anyone; her only concern was to serve God. But Jesus also commended her because she – unlike the others – gave sacrificially; those two coins were all she had. Her love for God was so deep, Jesus was saying, that she was willing to give everything to Him. In God’s eyes, she gave far more than all the others.

Jesus wasn’t saying that God’s work isn’t important, or that it doesn’t require financial support. God’s work always needs the sacrificial support of God’s people (even in difficult times). The Bible says, “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Which is more important to you: your pocketbook or your relationship with Jesus Christ? Christ gave His all for you; have you given your all to Him?