That alabaster jar of perfume was probably every penny of this woman’s life savings. Two gospel writers thought it was so wildly expensive that they gave us a written estimate: three hundred denarii – the equivalent of an entire year’s salary. It was an astonishing thing to break at the feet of Jesus. For most of us, our alabaster jar of perfume is money. Money is probably the thing we’re most scared of losing: our paycheck, our safety net, our funds. So the question we’re likely avoiding is: are you willing to give it all away? That’s not to say you shouldn’t pay your bills or plan for your future. But if God prompted you to give it all away, would you break the alabaster jar and pour it all out? John Wesley gave away about £30,000 while he was alive. That’s more than £135,3705.88 today. Wesley made a covenant with God in 1731 to keep his income at only £28 a year. The first year he made only £30, so he gave away just two pounds. The next year his income doubled, and because he could live on £28, he gave away £32. He never had more than £100 at any given time, ever, because he was afraid of storing up earthly treasure. He believed God’s blessing should result in raising our standard of giving, not our standard of living. Even when his income rose to thousands, he lived simple and just gave away all his extra money. He died with a few coins in his pocket, but mountains of treasure in heaven.

What now?

There are lots of apps available that can help you to calculate savings. Why not download one (make sure it’s from a safe, trusted source), and use it to create a generosity fund with all the money you don’t live on?