4 Things to Remember When You Have Nothing Left To Offer

Looking to our own resources and abilities can be discouraging. The task seems so big. We seem small. When I was young, I thought I could take on the world. As I’ve grown older, life’s experiences have taught me how fallible I am. Apart from God, there isn’t a whole lot I have to offer. Yet that little, in the hands of a mighty God, is more than enough.

Many Suffer from Financial Crisis

Several times each day, we get messages from missionaries suffering financial hardship. They struggle to make ends meet. They are serving the Lord in their contexts, with great commitment, heart, and faith. They often see miracles of healing or deliverance.

But money…that’s another story. Many feel they need financial help from the West. They hope to find a wealthy American or European sponsor to invest in them and their projects. There is nothing wrong with that, per se. It’s not, however, an effective or reproducible strategy for fundraising and ministry.

Perhaps more importantly, it falls short of what God wants to do in and through their lives. God is more than able to provide for us in our context. He often does this by using what we already have in our hands, as we offer it back to Him.

There are two stories in the Bible I’d like to consider related to this issue. Let’s begin with the Old Testament.

A Widow Who Had Nothing At All

In the book of 2 Kings, we find an interesting story about a widow (2 Kings 4:1-7). Her husband served in ministry. A prophet among many prophets, he had passed away in a time of great economic difficulty in the land. As was the custom in those times, the debtors she’d been buying food and supplies from were threatening to take her two sons as slaves. She desperately needed to pay what she owed.

The woman approached Elisha with her tremendous need. His response is interesting. The prophet asks her two questions.

• 1) How can I help you?
• 2) What do you have in your house?

Her response spewed out of her trembling lips. “I have nothing at all,” she exclaimed. I can picture her frustration at the prophet’s question. Why would he ask that? Hadn’t he been listening to what she had said?

Knowing he was a prophet, and wanting to be completely honest before the man of God she adds, “except a small jar of olive oil.” Her cupboards were bare, but they were not empty. Not completely empty anyhow.

That offering of oil was enough. More than enough for God to work with.

We know the rest of the story. Elisha instructs her to gather jars from her neighbors, as many as she could find. She then pours the little she has out into the neighbor’s vessels and…God does a miracle. The oil does not run out until all are full. Selling the oil, she pays her debts.

A Hungry Crowd and a Young Boy’s Lunch

Even more well-known is the story of the feeding of the great crowd found several times in the Gospels. In the book of Mark, we see Jesus did this same miracle in two different locations; once near Bethsaida, and again in the region of the Gerasenes. Both times he used loaves and fish provided by someone in the crowd and fed thousands. See this helpful comparison of these two miracles if you’d like to study it further. http://rosetta.reltech.org/UTSA/HUM3223/Feedings.pdf

Any time you find a story repeated in scripture, it’s notable. Jesus wants us to sit up and pay attention. He did this provision miracle not once, but twice. The disciples (and we today) must have needed a repeat lesson on this one!

In the first instance, found in Mark 6:30-44, the story begins with a strange command from Jesus. Though aware of the situation (thousands of hungry people), the Lord commands His disciples, “You feed them.” How in the world were they going to do that? It was beyond difficult. This was a humanly impossible command!

Their response was incredulous. That would take way too much money! Finances we obviously don’t have Jesus! He then asks them a question. “What do you have?”

Notice the similarity to Elisha’s question.

He then tells them to “go and see.” They return after realizing that they actually do have something. It isn’t much, but it is definitely something. It is more than enough for Jesus. Taking and blessing it, that bread and fish are broken and distributed. It feeds thousands.

4 Things to Remember When You Feel Empty

1. God asks us to look beyond our emptiness to what we do have.
2. We must first acknowledge that we do have something, then give it to Him.
3. Next come instructions on what to do with it. These must be obeyed.
4. Our little becomes enough in His powerful, loving hands.

Many Kinds of Emptiness

These stories are definitely about material provision. The widow needed actual food and money to pay her debt. The crowd was physically hungry. They teach us more than that though.

There are many kinds of emptiness Christian workers face.

• We can be emotionally empty.
• We can be spiritually empty and spent.
• We can be weary in a tough relationship.
• Our strength to endure and serve can be depleted.
• We may feel like we are at the end of our rope.

Whatever your situation, God is asking the same question He asked in those stories.

What do you have? Look beyond emptiness and see what He has given. There is always something. Offer it to Him. Then listen to what the Almighty God says to do. Simply obey, and watch miracles begin to happen.

With God, what we have, is always more than enough! He is the same God today as He was in the time of the widow or when the hungry crowd had gathered.

How do these stories encourage you or apply to your situation? Let us know in the comments below or on the Missionary Life Facebook page.