No one gave the way Jesus did.  He gave more to others than anyone else who was ever adorned a flesh and blood body.  You can imagine how hard it would be to impress Him by your giving.  A poor widow was unknowingly able to do this.

Luke 21:1-4 (ESV)
¹  Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, ²  and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. ³  And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. ⁴  For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

Jesus is not impressed with how much we give, but with how much we have after we give.  This poor widow had nothing left after she gave.  She gave even though it hurt.  She sacrificed her own needs for the betterment of the temple service. Jesus said she put into the treasury more than all the rich.  How could that be so, seeing that she just gave two copper coins?

The KJV refers to these coins as “mites,” which were the coins that had the lowest value among all the coins of that day.   An expert numismatist has said that the ancient mite “is probably the lowest denomination coin ever struck by any nation in all of history.”  Still, this widow gave the most because she gave all she had.

It is easy to give out of our abundance.  That is not to devalue doing such.  The truth is that is all that God requires.  Listen to Paul:

1 Corinthians 16:2 (KJV)
²  Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.

This is what the rich were doing—giving as God prospered them.  This is what is commanded today.  The poor widow, however, went the second mile.  She gave out of her poverty and Jesus was impressed.

Do you think Jesus is impressed with your giving?  I am not asking if He is pleased with you.  As long as you do what He requires of you, He will be pleased, and so will our Heavenly Father.  Impressing Jesus is a different matter.  That only comes when we go beyond the call of duty and give more than what is required.  The poor widow was not the only one to ever do this.  Read this example of the churches of Macedonia.

2 Corinthians 8:1-5 (ESV)
¹  We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, ²  for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. ³  For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, ⁴  begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— ⁵  and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.

We do not have to have a lot of money to give.  God judges the extent of our sacrifice not the monetary value of our contributions.  Let’s all make sure that we are giving as we prosper, and even a little more if possible.  As Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.