The film Schindler’s List tells the story of one man’s efforts to do good in a desperate situation. As the director of a munitions factory in Poland, Oskar Schindler decided to use his position to save Jewish lives. By employing them in his factory, Schindler rescued many condemned Jews from the gas chambers. But keeping them employed was costly, and little by little he liquidated his personal property to keep his business afloat. At the end of the story, the Nazis are defeated, and the full impact of Schindler’s efforts is revealed as the dead are counted and the living stagger back to freedom. In one scene, kneeling by the railroad tracks that had carried thousands to their deaths, Schindler had a startling realisation. He could have saved a few more! Overwhelmed with regret, he laments keeping the few personal assets he still owns. If only he had known when the war would end, he would have done more. Now it was too late.

Oskar Schindler was a hero. He saved over a thousand Jews during World War II. But interestingly, all he could think about was what he didn’t do. He wished he had done more. A powerful lesson in Schindler’s story is this: even joyful givers will look back on their lives and wish they had done more. There are also others who gave less than they could have given, or who never gave at all. Can you imagine their thoughts as they stand before God, giving an account of how they used their resources and to be rewarded accordingly?

‘God loves a cheerful giver,’ so today look for opportunities to give.