Sixpence None the Richer

It is by God’s grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

C.S. Lewis famously told the story of a boy who wants to purchase a gift for his father’s birthday. However, he has no means of making money for such a purchase. So he goes and asks his father for a sixpence. With that sixpence he goes and purchases his father a gift. C.S. Lewis describes the boy’s financial position as being ‘sixpence none the richer.’

In this life, every one of us is truly ‘sixpence none the richer.’ The talents we use, the money we spend, the things we own are all from His hand. Even the air we breathe is a gift from our Heavenly Father.

Now don’t think this reality is meant to humiliate you. Humble you, yes. Humiliate you, no. In fact, it is a great delight for the Father to provide every one of those sixpence to you. But we ought not forget the Father as the giver and begin believing that we our success is self-made. King David believed this about his wealth in 2 Samuel:7 when he decided that he would build a house for God. God laughs at David’s arrogance and says to him, “YOU are going to build ME a house?” You can almost hear His laughter before and after the question. The reality is that even though David has wealth and position as well as the ability to build a house, he is forgetting that God was the supplier of all that he was now ready to give. God promptly reminds David that even an earthly king with a lot of wealth is really ‘sixpence none the richer.’

Each of us as sinners will do good to be reminded that we are ‘sixpence none the richer’ when it comes to our salvation. Ephesians explains, “It is by God’s grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Sixpence None the Richer – This is discipleship. Following Jesus, being changed by Jesus, and committing to the mission of Jesus.