Sometimes we hear people say, “It’s not the price of the gift, but the thought that counts.” Usually the people who say this do so to excuse themselves from spending any more than the barest minimum on something they plan to give someone else.

There are many situations when a gift’s material cost is far outweighed by the motivation for giving it. The poor widow Jesus observed placing two minuscule coins in the temple treasury is one excellent example: “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had” (Luke 21:3-4). In the same way, the Lord once noted, “For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward” (Mark 9:41). A cup of water may not be worth much in dollars and cents, but as an act of kindness toward a saint of God it has tremendous value.

On the other hand, we shouldn’t let ourselves be fooled into thinking that we can do as little service as possible and have the Lord find it acceptable. There’s no excuse for giving two pennies when you have hundreds of dollars to give, or for handing a brother or sister a glass of water when they really need food, shelter and clothing. It’s not okay to say, essentially, “Depart in peace; be warmed and filled,” when we have the wherewithal to minister to a greater need (James 2:15-16).

Jesus asked, “If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?” (Luke 11:11-12). Christ’s questions presuppose that a loving father would not give his hungry child a rock to eat, or a snake, or a scorpion. To any reasoning person, such a thing would be anathema.

The sad truth, though, is that we live in a world where not every parent so loves. Newspapers are filled with tales of abused and abandoned children. Just last week, I was driving my daughter home from school when we heard on the radio the story of Jennifer Farrell, a 33-year-old woman in Greeley, Colorado who left her six children, ranging in age from 14 to six, home alone while she gallivanted off to Europe with her male companion (a man described by a neighbor as “an older guy in his 60s who drove a big white car with mag wheels, and wore cowboy boots”).

I’m sure Ms. Farrell would argue, “I left them with a refrigerator full of food, a list of emergency telephone numbers, and a credit card in case they needed anything.” And that might well be true. But somehow, the thought isn’t quite enough, is it? She might as well have left the kids with rocks, snakes and scorpions.

You and I, surely, would never imagine committing so irresponsible an act. (At least, I know I wouldn’t, and I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt.) And yet, are we really any less cavalier? Do we believe that by supplying our children’s material needs, we have done all we need to do for them? Do we tell ourselves that a packed refrigerator, a sturdy roof and a closet filled with clothes take the place of our time, our conversation, and “the training and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4)?

Moses told the Israelites of old, “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:6-9). We must avail ourselves of every opportunity to give our young people the most precious gifts we possess: our time, our good example, and the saving gospel of Jesus Christ.