“But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.”
-Luke 6:24

I have a confession.

“Make a donation” has been on my To-Do list for roughly three months now. It has been beaten out by errands, at-home work, grocery runs. It’s been left behind after planting flowers, meal prepping, and cleaning. It still sits there, amongst more successful To-Do’s that have been crossed off, eagerly awaiting a pen to strike through.

When I chose to write for this week, I pondered the verse “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation” and thought This can’t apply to me…I’m not rich! My car is 13 years old, I live in a modest apartment, I have loans to repay. I’m not on a doctor’s salary, and if I have inheritance from a long lost relative, I have yet to see it.

But I also have enough to share. As I read through my To-Do list day after day, however, I’m ashamed to see it hasn’t been one of my priorities.

I’m glad that Jesus prioritized being loving and generous—or where would we be? What if he didn’t have time to raise Lazarus from the dead? What if he looked the other way when confronted with the sick? What if he didn’t feel generous enough to feed the masses with fish and bread? And most importantly, where would we be if had chosen his own comfort and ease instead of offering himself to die for our sins?

Surely, my house doesn’t need to be cleaned so badly that I can’t take 10 minutes to donate to a cause that I’m passionate about, to an organization that helps people in need. And maybe next time I go to spend money on myself, I can remember that three word line that is not just there to be crossed off, but is a commitment of putting my wealth, however small, to support my love of neighbor, a love that says I recognize you as a child of God and you are important. A love that, quite deeply, invests in word and deed.

In no circumstances would I call myself rich, but still, perhaps my lessons is “Woe to those who have enough, but don’t make time to share.”

Alyssa Finke spends her time writing, hiking, and cooking. She also really enjoys a nice adventure, and will cross oceans or city limit signs to have one. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati, Alyssa is the Marketing Coordinator for Forward Movement. Currently raising a tomato plant, a cactus, and several geraniums, her green-thumb aspirations are a work in progress.