Proverbs 15:16 — Better to have little, with fear for the Lord, than to have great treasure and inner turmoil.
There was coffee brewing at the radio station the morning of our fundraiser.
Which was appropriate, because Tammi and I are both coffee girlies.
And if you know us, you know we take our coffee seriously.
As we were sipping, Tammi started telling me about her morning drive-through routine.
“I know I could make coffee at home,” she said, “but it just tastes so much better when someone else makes it.”
Yes.
Amen.
I couldn’t agree more!
There are just some things in life that are better when somebody else does the work.
And coffee is definitely one of them.
But somewhere in the middle of our conversation, Tammi remembered she had a little cash in her wallet.
Now, I don’t know about you, but I hardly ever carry cash anymore.
So she pulled it out and started counting.
A few bills.
Some change.
And when she finished, she had exactly seven dollars and thirty-two cents.
$7.32.
She looked at it for a moment and said, “You know what? I’m going to give this.”
And just like that, she did.
Now, Tammi knew exactly where that money probably would have gone.
Another trip through the coffee drive-through.
Another cup of coffee she didn’t really need.
And listen, there is absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying a good cup of coffee!
But in that moment, she decided there was something else she wanted to do with those dollars.
And I just loved that.
Not because $7.32 was some enormous sacrifice.
Not because it was going to change the entire fundraising total.
But because she didn’t stop to ask whether what she had was enough to matter.
She simply decided to use it for something that mattered to her.
And I’ve been thinking about that ever since.
Especially when I read Proverbs 15:16.
“Better to have little, with fear for the Lord, than to have great treasure and inner turmoil.”
Now, that verse isn’t saying it’s wrong to have money.
And it isn’t saying that having less automatically makes us more spiritual.
It’s reminding us that the amount we have matters far less than the place it holds in our hearts.
Because you can have a lot and still feel like you never have enough.
Or you can have a little and discover a deep sense of peace because you know where your security really comes from.
Not your bank account.
Not your possessions.
But the Lord.
And that changes how we think about generosity.
Because sometimes we convince ourselves that we’ll be generous later.
When we have more.
When the bills are paid.
When there’s a little extra sitting in the bank.
And of course, we need to be wise with our money and take care of our responsibilities.
But generosity doesn’t always have to wait for some future season when everything feels financially comfortable.
Sometimes it begins with a simple question.
What do I have right now that I could use to bless someone else?
You know, that reminds me of another story in the Bible.
A little boy with five loaves of bread and two fish.
Not exactly enough to feed a crowd of thousands.
But he offered what he had.
And in the hands of Jesus, that small lunch became part of something extraordinary.
Now, I’m not suggesting every small gift will turn into a miracle like that one.
But I do think there’s something beautiful about being willing to offer what we have instead of focusing on what we don’t.
Tammi had $7.32.
The little boy had five loaves and two fish.
And maybe today, you have something you could share, too.
It might be money.
It might be time.
It might be a talent, a kind word, or an opportunity to help someone who needs it.
Whatever it is, don’t dismiss it just because it seems small.
Because generosity doesn’t begin with having a lot. It begins with a heart that’s willing to share.
And sometimes, that looks like seven dollars and thirty-two cents.
And one less trip through the coffee drive-through.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
- Have you ever put off being generous because you felt you didn’t have enough to give?
- What does Proverbs 15:16 teach you about the difference between financial wealth and spiritual contentment?
- How can small, intentional choices help us become more generous people?
- What is something you regularly spend money or time on that you could occasionally redirect toward helping someone else?
- How might your attitude toward giving change if you focused less on the size of the gift and more on the heart behind it?
QUESTION TO CARRY WITH YOU TODAY
What do I already have that I could use to bless someone else today?
