Worship From A Spent Heart

Luke 21
The Widow's Offering

1As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3"I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."

Have you ever had the "Disney Land Worship Experience?" You know, the worship service where you could feel the Spirit's every move, hear God's voice almost audibly, and you felt free to express yourself in ways that you maybe never have before. The kind of experience that squelches any doubt of God's intimate presence with us as we worship Him. A time with God where lyrics and melody lines flowed in perfect harmony with your heart's overflowing state. Maybe you were with your closest friends, favorite band, perfectly situated in the ideal setting for communion with God. Possibly this experienced was birthed out of a period of God's blessing or a fresh move of His Spirit in your life.

I hope you have had those times of intimacy with God. I am thankful for my "Disney Land Worship Experiences." But, I am even more grateful to serve a God that values worship from a spent heart.

In Luke 21:1-4 we read an amazing story about worship. It's the story in which Jesus observes two types of offerings. The first offering was probably pretty impressive in terms of monetary value. A group of "rich" people offered their "gifts" to the Lord from a place of wealth, abundance, and financial security. They offered God a percentage of what they had. Then, Jesus observed a second type of offering. He observed an offering from a widow of two small copper coins (mites). The widow's offering did not even compare to what the "rich" gave in terms of value, yet Jesus responds with these words in verse 3, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."

I love this story because it reminds me that God's value system is far different from that of the world's value system. And, unfortunately, God's value system is often much different than that of the church. God is longing for us to be dependent on Him. He is calling us to risk everything we have and reach a place of desperation. Whether we feel like we have much to give or not, we must give until we can give no longer. recently I read a quote from Shane Claiborne that beautifully summarizes the issue. It said, "True generosity is measured not by how much we give away but by how much we have left."

I don't believe God is evaluating our worship based on the size, emotion, or expression of our worship experience. God is simply asking for all you have to give. You may enter into worship with heavy burdens, hurt feelings, huge doubts, and a seemingly spacious chasm between you and the presence of God. Yet, God still desires your worship in that moment. He is waiting for you to place your life in His hands in an act of dependence and possible desperation. He values worship from a "spent heart."

Whether we have much or whether we have little, may we not hold back even "one mite" in our worship. May we be defined by what we have left, rather than by what we have given.