4 Generosity Lessons from Elijah and the Widow

Have you ever looked at your financial situation and wondered, “How can I give when I am faced with such significant challenges? Where will the money come from?” Maybe you are living paycheck to paycheck, and the thought of giving away a portion of your income ties knots in your stomach. You feel that you need every penny just to pay the bills. You desire to give, but you don’t see how generosity is possible right now. You tell yourself, “I will be generous later, when either my income goes up or my expenses go down.”

If you are church leader, you may have not only thought this, but ministered to congregants who are experiencing a similar battle. In the United States and beyond, many are facing financially difficult or lean times. The act of generosity seems impossible at the moment.

There’s a story in the Bible about a widow who gave during a time when resources were scarcer than most of us will ever experience. In 1 Kings 17:7-16, we find God instructing Elijah to acquire food and water from a widow. According to the Scripture, God had instructed this widow to give. This occurred during a drought, when food and water were very scarce.

After Elijah requested food and water, the widow explained she only have enough for one last meal for her and her son. The widow’s plan was to eat the food and die with her son. “Dire” does not comes close to describing her plight. Shockingly, Elijah encourages her to trust God and provide him the food anyway. Even more shocking, the widow does just that. Outside an act of God, this meant the widow and her son would soon die.

But an act of God is exactly what happened. The oil and flour in her jars, the necessary ingredients for bread, never went empty. After the widow provided food for Elijah, she found there was not just enough for her and her son on that specific day, but each day after as well.

This story is remarkable on many fronts, rich with lessons from which we can all learn. Let’s consider four generosity lessons we find from the story of Elijah and the widow.

Lesson #1: It is God who calls us to be generous.

Who called the widow to be generous? It is important to note that Elijah was not the one who initially directed the widow to give. It was God. 1 Kings 17:8-9 says, “Then the word of the Lord came to him (Elijah): ‘Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.’” Notice the last part of verse 9. God had already directed the widow to give. Before Elijah ever interacted with the widow, God was already at work in this woman’s heart. He had already commanded her to be generous.

God has woven throughout Scripture numerous verses on generosity. And as one reads these passages, God’s command becomes clear—we are to live and give generously. He commands us to give, not because He wants something from us, but because He wants something for us. We are to live and give generously because God has designed us to do so. We were designed to reflect His generosity toward others. Therefore, a lack of generosity is a symptom of an underlying heart issue. It is true—what we do with our money reflects what we are doing with our heart. It is God who calls us to be generous.

Lesson #2: Generosity is an act of trust.

The story of Elijah and the widow demonstrates that giving is ultimately an act of trust in God’s promises and provision. In this story, when resources were scarce, the widow had to lean into God and trust Him. She had to distrust what her physical eyes were seeing and put her faith in the one who could not be seen.

Why would we give? We give because we know God has commanded us to do so, and we know God always directs us to do things that are for our good and His glory. We give because it tangibly demonstrates are trust in Him and not ourselves or our money. God wants us to lean into Him. He was us to trust Him. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV). Generosity is an act of trust.

Lesson #3: God delights in obedience when obedience isn’t convenient.

We find another story of a widow who gave everything she had in Luke 21:1-4. In this story, we can read about Jesus’s reaction to such an act. Jesus watched people give large sums of money at the temple treasury. But it was not the large gifts that received Jesus’s attention. It was a widow who gave two coins. While these two coins were of relatively little monetary value, it was all she had. Jesus said it was the widow who gave more than anyone else. Why? Because, for God, amount sacrificed supersedes amount given.

When we choose to obey God during difficult times, it demonstrates our faith in Him. It says, “God, you are more important than any temporary discomfort or affliction that I may face. Your word goes before my human desire.” We say Jesus place God’s plans above unimaginable torment in Matthew 26:42 as his crucifixion drew near: “He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done” (NIV). God delights in obedience when obedience isn’t convenient.

Lesson #4: We should encourage one another to be faithful in generosity.

While Elijah did not direct the widow to give, he did encourage her to trust God and be faithful in generosity. Elijah encouraged her to not be fearful but remember God’s promise and provision. For many church leaders, it can feel uncomfortable to encourage congregants to give when they are facing financially challenging times. But remember, it is not you who has directed them to give. It is God. And He is calling all of us to give, not because He needs the resources, but because He wants something even better for us. As a church leader, you are simply encouraging congregants to trust God and His Word. And this is good. We should encourage one another to be faithful in generosity.

The story of Elijah and the widow is a story of trust and faithful generosity. It challenges us in our Christian walk to place Christ first. And it challenges church leaders to continue pointing people to God’s faithfulness even during difficult times. It is a story from which we can learn many lessons.

Image used with permission