Let Your Offering Glorify God

 

 

Brothers and sisters, it is good to be with you today as we open God’s Word together. We often think of giving as a duty, a line item in our budget, or a transaction that happens when the offering plate comes by. But what if we saw it differently? What if we understood that our giving is one of the most profound acts of worship we can offer? Today, our goal is to move beyond a sense of obligation and explore the deep spiritual principles that transform an ordinary offering into an extraordinary act of glorifying God.

Our central text for this exploration comes from the Gospel of Mark, where Jesus Himself gives us a powerful lesson on the true measure of a gift. The scripture reads:

Mark 12:41-44 (AMP)

“And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began watching how the people were putting money into the treasury. And many rich people were putting in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, ‘I assure you and most solemnly say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury. For they all contributed out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she had, everything she had to live on.’”

In this simple, profound moment, Jesus stops to observe people giving their offerings. He sees the wealthy giving large, impressive sums, and He sees a poor widow give what amounted to almost nothing. Yet, His evaluation turns the world’s logic upside down. This story forces us to ask a critical question for our own lives: What does it mean for an offering to truly glorify God?

This morning, we will explore three foundational principles revealed through biblical examples that help us understand God's perspective on our giving. We will look at the heart behind the gift, the quality of the gift, and the faith that fuels the gift.

Let us begin by turning our attention back to the temple treasury and the powerful lesson we can learn from the widow’s small but priceless offering.

2. The Principle of the Heart: Lessons from the Widow's Mite

The first, and perhaps most important, principle God teaches us about giving is this: He is more concerned with the heart of the giver than the size of the gift. In God’s divine economy, the motivation and the sacrifice behind an offering are valued far more than its monetary worth. The world measures generosity in dollars and cents, but God measures it by the condition of the heart.

Let’s look again at the scene in Mark 12:41-44. The rich were giving "large sums"—gifts that would have been publicly noticed and praised. In stark contrast, the widow gives "two copper coins." By any human standard, her gift was insignificant. But Jesus, who sees beyond the surface, declared that her gift was greater than all the others. Why? Because the wealthy gave out of their "surplus," their comfortable excess. But she, out of her poverty, "put in all she had, everything she had to live on." She gave with all her heart, making her small offering the "greatest in heaven." Her gift was an act of total trust and complete surrender, believing that the God she gave it to would be the God who provided for her.

The core lesson from this encounter is a powerful truth that should liberate and challenge each of us. As the scripture makes clear:

"It does not matter how big or small your giving is; what matters is that it comes from the heart. The widow gave everything she had, trusting God to provide."

Her two coins were not just money; they were a tangible expression of her love and dependence on God. Our giving, therefore, is first and foremost a matter of the heart.

Now, as we establish that the heart is the origin of our giving, let us consider the quality of what flows from it, as we turn to the story of the first two offerings ever given.

3. The Principle of Quality: Lessons from Cain and Abel

The second principle is that our giving should be an offering of our very best. This is not about a standard of perfection that we can never meet, but about an attitude of honor. Giving our best is a tangible way to show God that He holds the highest place in our lives. It is an act of respect and reverence that reflects the depth of our love for Him.

The Bible introduces this principle at the very beginning of human history, in the story of Cain and Abel, found in Genesis 4:3-5. Both brothers brought an offering to the Lord. Cain brought an offering from the "fruits" of the ground, but we are told his offering was "not pleasing to the Lord" and was not respected. Abel, however, "gave the best offering"—the firstborn of his flock—and his offering was accepted by God. The critical difference was not in the type of gift but in the quality and the faith behind it. Abel honored God with his "firstfruits," giving the first and the finest of what he had in an act of faith, trusting God for the rest. Cain's offering, by contrast, suggests giving leftovers—a gift that lacked the reverence, honor, and faith demonstrated by his brother.

This teaches us a direct and vital lesson for our own worship. God does not just want something from us; He deserves our best. Whether it is our time, our talents, or our treasure, the principle remains the same. The exhortation for us is clear and direct:

"We must give the best to the Lord."

Giving our best glorifies God because it acknowledges His supreme worth. It declares that He is not an afterthought, but our first priority.

The widow showed us the heart of giving, and Abel showed us the quality of our gift. Now, Abraham will show us the foundation upon which both of those must be built: a faith that is willing to surrender what is most precious.

4. The Principle of Faith: Lessons from Abraham's Obedience

The third principle that underpins all God-honoring giving is faith. True giving is not merely a financial transaction; it is an act of profound trust. It is most purely expressed when what we are asked to give requires a deep and costly personal sacrifice, pushing us beyond our comfort zone and into a place of complete reliance on God.

There is no greater example of this in all of Scripture than Abraham, in the account from Genesis 22:2. God tested Abraham with an unimaginable command: to give his only son, Isaac, the very child through whom God had promised to build a great nation. This was not a test of Abraham's wealth, but of his trust in the God who had given him everything. In offering Isaac, Abraham was being asked to offer his future, his legacy, his hope—in essence, he was being asked to offer his very self.

How did Abraham respond? We are told, "He obeyed because he trusted God and feared Him." Abraham’s obedience was not blind; it was the direct result of a deep, abiding faith. He trusted that the God who gave him the promise was the same God who would be faithful to fulfill it, even if he couldn't see how. This incredible act of faith-filled giving demonstrated his complete reliance on God's character. It was the ultimate proof that nothing was more valuable to him than his relationship with God.

Our own giving, while different in scale, is meant to be rooted in this same faith. When we give sacrificially, we are declaring that we trust God to be our provider, our security, and our ultimate treasure.

These three principles—giving from the heart, giving our best, and giving in faith—are essential. But as we saw in Abraham, there is one final point that serves as the foundation for them all.

5. The Foundation of All Giving: Giving Ourselves First

We have explored the heart, the quality, and the faith behind our offerings. But the final, foundational truth is this: our offerings of money, time, or possessions are ultimately empty unless they are an extension of a life that has already been fully surrendered to God. God does not want something from you as much as He wants you. Abraham could lay his son on the altar only because he had already laid his own life on it years before.

Before any gift can truly glorify God, the giver must first belong to Him. The source text states this prerequisite with powerful clarity:

"Before giving anything to the Lord, we must first give ourselves, our lives and everything we have. Without this, we are not ready or mature enough to give."

Our offerings are an outward expression of an inward reality. When we have first given ourselves to the Lord, our financial giving becomes a natural and joyful act of worship. It is the overflow of a heart that loves God and belongs completely to Him. With this foundation in place, we are then equipped to follow the Spirit’s guidance in our giving. Let these simple, powerful instructions guide your response:

• Give as the Spirit leads you.
• Give with love and faith.
• Give with a pure heart.

When we first give ourselves, our subsequent giving becomes a beautiful act of worship that honors the Lord.

6. Conclusion: A Call to Glorify God

Today, we have looked at what it means to give in a way that truly glorifies God. We have learned from the widow that God values the sacrifice of a surrendered heart more than the size of the gift. We have learned from Abel that God is honored when we give Him our very best. And we have learned from Abraham that true giving is an act of radical faith and obedience that flows from a life already given to God.

My prayer for each of us is that we would take these lessons to heart. I want to encourage you to re-examine your own practices of giving—not with a spirit of guilt or comparison, but with a renewed and joyful desire to love and worship God through your offerings. Let your giving be a reflection of a life fully surrendered to Him, an offering given from a pure heart, in faith, and to the very best of your ability.

May we be a people whose generosity tells a story of God’s goodness and our complete trust in Him.

To God be The Glory!!!