Matthew 10:39 – Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (NIV)

Matthew 6:31-33 – So do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (NIV)

One Sunday morning, I was late for church, so I slipped into the corner of a back pew marked, "For Parents with Small Children."

All around me were mothers and fathers with wriggly youngsters. A little lad beside me quietly "brrroommed" his wee car towards my arm along a highway of hymnbooks, then looked up into my face with a disarming smile. A loose-limbed doll lay neglected at my toes, probably dropped by one of the two little girls now sitting relaxed between their parents in front of me.

When it was offering time, the usher who had passed the receptacle exchanged a grin with me. The roly-poly toddler to the right on his mother's lap was trying to offer his wee plush teddy-bear instead of the coin that he clutched in his other pudgy paw — that is, until his mother got his hands sorted out.

Then I reflected, We adults can learn something from that little toddler. What a wonderful change for good in the world would be wrought if we all were to dedicate our "toys" — our automobiles, houses, games, hobbies — to the Lord of all.

We can dedicate everything, all that we have and are, yes, even our very selves to God to be used for His greatest good. The apostle Paul wrote, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship" (Romans 12:1 NIV).

In case we fear leaving ourselves with less, we can recall these words of Jesus: "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you" (Luke 6:38 NIV). We can be thankful that even our very selves are made new by our Lord, as Paul says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV)

Prayer: Lord, please guide us in our giving so that the greatest good may redound in the entire world. Cause us also to rejoice in Your perfect provision. Amen.

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