If You Owe God a Coin, He Will Not Accept from You a Pearl Instead
by +B.P.
St. Isaac the Syrian offers us a profound teaching: “If you owe God a coin, He will not accept a pearl in its place.” This saying invites us to reflect on our relationship with God and what He truly asks of us. It challenges us to understand that our offerings, no matter how grand or sacrificial they might seem, must align with His will and commandments, not just with our own preferences or desires.
Throughout the scriptures, we see how different saints pleased God by embodying different virtues that He called them to embrace. Abraham’s hospitality was a defining mark of his faithfulness. When he welcomed strangers with open arms, he unknowingly hosted angels and received God’s promise (Genesis 18). David, who was called a man after God’s own heart, demonstrated meekness and humility, trusting God even when persecuted. And Elijah, the zealous prophet, stood boldly for the truth and rejected idolatry despite the overwhelming opposition. Each of these figures pleased God, not by doing whatever they thought best, but by fulfilling the specific virtues to which God called them.
This brings us back to St. Isaac’s warning. It is tempting to believe that if we cannot fulfill one duty or commandment, we can substitute it with something else, often something we consider of greater value. We might reason, for instance, “I am not consistent in prayer, but I will donate more to the poor,” or “I struggle with fasting, but I will dedicate more time to church service.” While such efforts are valuable and perhaps acceptable with the right blessing, St. Isaac reminds us that substituting one good deed for another does not fulfill God’s expectations. If God calls us to the simplicity of a “coin,” He seeks our faithfulness in what He has asked for—not a pearl, even if that pearl seems more precious to us.
St. Isaac’s words also direct us to humility. It requires an honest examination of whether our offerings are genuinely for God or to satisfy our own spiritual pride. God does not seek from us offerings born out of a desire to appear pious, but a heart willing to be obedient, even when it means giving what seems small or insignificant. God asks for the coin of genuine repentance, prayer, humility, and love for our neighbor. These may seem like humble offerings compared to what we might prefer to give—a dramatic display of self-sacrifice or charity—but it is in fulfilling these simple obligations that our heart aligns with God’s will.
This teaching also highlights the danger of neglecting what God asks by replacing it with acts of our own choosing. Consider King Saul, who tried to offer sacrifices to God while disobeying His direct commandment (1 Samuel 15). Saul’s downfall came because he chose what he thought was a greater sacrifice, but God desired obedience over ritual. The prophet Samuel said, “To obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Samuel 15:22). And our Holy Mother Sycletiki tells us, “Greater than all ascetical labors is obedience”. This is a lesson for all of us: we must strive not just to give, but to give what God has asked of us.
Let us remember that our spiritual life is not about bargaining or substituting. God’s commandments are clear, and His will is revealed in the teachings of the Church and the lives of the saints. When we owe Him a coin—a simple act of love, prayer, forgiveness, or repentance—let us not attempt to replace it with something of our own invention, even if it seems more extravagant. What He desires most is a heart willing to be obedient and aligned with His will. This, and nothing else, is what we must offer to God.
