In Mark, the large amounts of money thrown in at the temple by the rich men seemed like a strong gesture, while the amount the widow gave seemed to be a weak one. When we dive deeper, Jesus revealed that the widow’s portion was actually the opposite. She sacrificed all she had, giving the greatest offering of them all. This proves we can’t give greater significance to worldly strength over what God views as strength. While the world values control, status, and power, God’s heart turns towards the weak. In all that we do, there is an audience watching, but God is the only one who matters. He is the one who notices what everyone else misses. God sees our sacrifice, no matter how small. We’re stronger than we know. When we do good and live life with integrity, it blesses God and shows our love for him. He doesn’t need our money, he wants us to love him with all of our strength.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” —Mark 12:30

1. Context
‍

Not only was the widow seen as less-than because she was a woman, but she was also poor. Little did she know, Jesus was watching as she gave her all. Though we may not see the audience of heaven, it is ever-present. God is never far away and notices our actions, even if it seems insignificant in our eyes.

2. Contrast

There is a massive contrast between what we see as strength versus what God sees as strength. It has always been the heart of God to gravitate toward the weakest among us. Case in point, Jesus bragged about the poor widow—he was so proud of her sacrifice. Know that God speaks well of you even when you don’t notice and even when you feel at your weakest.

It’s easy to get swayed into believing that earthly possessions are permanent. But you cannot take with you what you’ve built here, it is all temporary. We can become so attached to what is “ours” that we allow it to define how strong we are. The moment we lose a job, fail at a relationship, or feel unstable in any way, we can think that we don’t have it all together. We can even wonder if what we have to offer God is enough. But loving God with all of your strength is not about giving him something big, but about giving out of an honest place. It goes beyond the act and into the intention behind it. So don’t minimize the way you love God or give to him because if you are loving honestly, you are loving and giving strong.