Recently I have felt the pinch of having no money. In a gaffe of mis-budgeting, and a sudden loss of income compounded by a series of unforeseeable emergencies; I went from having just enough, to barely scrapping by on a week to week basis. If you ever lost a job or found yourself with large bills or even if you blew your money at some point, you understand what I’m talking about. At the same time, when you’re barely scrapping along, you understand that there are certain things that must be paid regardless– you know, the essentials like rent or mortgage, the utilities, etc. What we often forget about is our giving. We stop giving– I’m guilty of this too. I mean, the very last thing I’m thinking about when I’m scrapping by is not how much I can afford to give; but rather, where am I going to get money to become whole. This quiet time is not about money, it’s about giving sacrificially. That is to see your ability to give as more than the dollars and cents in your wallet and offer something much more valuable. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” (Luke 21:3, 4 ESV) Jesus says to the Pharisees that were giving nearly 40% of their wealth to the needy and to the church that they need to have a heart of generosity. This ultimately means that giving for the sake of giving is worthless. Let me phrase that better– giving without pain is not as worthwhile as giving despite the pain. I know I’m going to get a few frowns for writing this, like I’m discoursing financial support (which I want you to do and generously support with your dollars); but giving what you have little of is much more a worthwhile investment than any dollar. So for you people who have little money but lots of time– give your little money and use that time to find a job that pays some money. Likewise, you people with no time and lots of money, give that money and dedicate your remaining time to God. Finally, for those of us with no time and equally no money to show for it, sacrifice it all for God and see what your sacrificial investment yields. I dare you to try it.