Wallets and Purses

"And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on."
Mark 12:41-44

"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

 "Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the LORD came to him: 9 “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” 10 So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” 11 As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.”
 12 “As surely as the LORD your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”
13 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain on the land.’” 15 She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. 16 For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah.
1 Kings 17:7-16

"So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver"
2 Corinthians 9:7

People often get really uncomfortable when discussions or teachings arise regarding tithing and giving. In the natural, people mentally, spiritually, and sometimes physically, clutch onto their wallets and purses tightly. There is often a convoluted concept involved - we actually believe that it's our money, we earned it, it's ours to do as we please. Sometimes there is rationalization that God owns everything, so He doesn't need our money...another is that we are in such a desperate place financially that we simply can't give.
Have you ever thought about why God loves a cheerful giver? If He owns everything anyway, and everything was made by His hand, so it can't be about the actual gift. Whatever the amount it's as nothing to Him. Actions speak louder than words, we are to truly trust Him, and not just give lip service, He's looking at how we think about our resources, and what place, what position do these things occupy in our hearts. The truth is that we can never really own anything, we are only stewards, and all that we have been entrusted with is from our heavenly Father. When we give joyfully, offering cheerfully from the first fruits, from our best, not throwing the King of the Universe leftovers and crumbs, the Lord sees that mammon is not an idol, and that we are acknowledging Him as our only master, not money.
We just can't outgive the One that has given us everything-including his only begotten Son.