“The most beautiful gifts aren’t necessarily the grandest—they’re the most authentic.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – May 28, 2025
But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself. John 12:4-6, NLT
A friend once asked me to research the best Christ-centered ministry in our community that cares for women and children. In his words, he and his wife “were compelled to deploy their giving now and not defer to another day.” Why? The needs and resources are available now, as we do not have a promise of tomorrow. Like Mary, who gave an extravagant gift to Jesus out of gratitude and love, Mike and his wife Michele were motivated by love and gratitude to God to give now rather than wait for a more convenient time when they might or might not have the resources to give. An outright faith gift recognizes that the Kingdom of God is present now and invites generous contributions. Real-time generosity focuses on deploying Kingdom investments.
Mary was generous, but Judas was not. John reveals Judas’ true motives. This was not about helping the poor; it was about helping himself. The man who held the money bag had developed a habit of dipping into it when no one was watching. Every coin meant for the poor that didn’t pass through his fingers felt like a personal loss to him. In that fragrant room stood two people: Mary, offering everything to Jesus, and Judas, calculating what Jesus was costing him. One poured out everything in worship, while the other secretly benefited himself. One recognized immeasurable worth; the other saw only a price tag. Within days, Judas would find another sum of money worth betraying Jesus for—thirty pieces of silver. But at this moment, with the scent of perfume still lingering in the air, Mary gratefully worshipped: a real-time generous gift of love!
How is your heart aligned with generosity? Act now in love and gratitude, or postpone until later in fear and greed? Have you ever noticed how we refer to generosity as something we’ll practice “someday”? When we’re more secure. When we have excess. When the timing feels safer. But what if generosity isn’t the overflow of abundance but the doorway to it? I watched my grandmother, who had so little, slip dollars into the hands of every visitor to her modest efficiency apartment. “I can’t take your money,” people would protest. “You need it more than I do.” She’d just smile. “The river that doesn’t flow becomes a swamp.” A generous heart doesn’t calculate tomorrow’s scarcity; it celebrates today’s sufficiency. It doesn’t hoard against imagined futures but releases gifts into the present moment. Perhaps true wealth isn’t what we clutch tightly, but what flows through us—not a reservoir guarded by fear, but a stream animated by gratitude. Experience real-time generosity now and be free from deferring to a fearful future.
Be creative like Mary; give what you have. Do not presume on the Lord by giving in a manner that is not true to who you are. Your generous giving needn’t mirror another’s to matter. Mary didn’t calculate—she poured out perfume, ignoring whispers of waste. What makes your heart overflow? Your words, hands, time, creativity? Give that. The most beautiful gifts aren’t necessarily the grandest—they’re the most authentic. Heaven celebrates not the size of your Kingdom investment but the wholeness with which you give it. Don’t agonize over giving like someone else. Your Creator, who made snowflakes unique, doesn’t expect identical generosity from different hearts. Your particular love is the point. Unique generosity out of genuine love.
Prayer
Lord, open my heart to be generous today. Help me give freely—my time, my words, my resources—with joy and compassion. Let my generosity reflect Your abundant love and grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen
Application
What types of giving give you great joy? Elevate your joyful generosity in grateful worship.
Related Reading
Proverbs 3:9; Mark 12:43-44; 2 Corinthians 9:7; Philippians 4:18
Worship Resource
Celtic Worship: Blessed Assurance
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