Boldness and Faith

Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. While he was eating,  a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume over his head. 

4 Some of those at the table were indignant. “Why waste such expensive perfume?” they asked. 5 “It could have been sold for a year’s wages and the money given to the poor!” So they scolded her harshly.

6 But Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why criticize her for doing such a good thing to me? 7 You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time. 9 I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”   (Mark 14:3-9 NLT)

I was just thinking of this woman, Mary of Bethany.  Imagining what it would have been like for her…thinking of how she might have been at her home praying when the Holy Spirit urged her to get up, get her jar of oil, go to where Jesus was and pour the oil over his head.

I’m not sure about all the customs and procedures of Biblical times, but what I’ve read, has told me that women did not have the equality and freedoms we have today. I imagine it took a lot of courage to step out and follow the Holy Spirit’s leading.  She knew what she was doing was going to be unorthodox; people might talk about her being inappropriate, maybe even a little crazy, going against customs and stepping out where the world thought she didn’t belong.

I’m not sure if Mary had a husband or if she was wealthy. According to the scripture, this alabaster of oil was worth a year’s wages. So this oil had an extremely large monetary value and using it in this way, was a major financial sacrifice.  I’m sure if she had hesitated and maybe asked a friend for advice they would have discouraged her and told her not to do that, maybe they would have tried to convince her that someone more ‘special’ might have that calling, that she didn’t need that burden.

This is what I’ve learned from Mary: not only did she hear the message God had for her, she listened, and obeyed.  She knew it wasn’t going to be easy, she knew it was going to take a lot of courage, but she stepped out in faith and followed God.   I see Mary’s courageousness, faithfulness, and sacrifice – and I want that boldness and faith! 

I now believe I have been called to step out in faith and I know I will face obstacles, I will be unpopular, and I will lose 'friends' and family - but none of that matters – the only thing that matters is to hear my Jesus tell me one day, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant’.

*I wrote this blog entry in less than hour on Friday Sept 7^th, for some reason I thought I should hold off on publishing it. I think I know why now; Sunday my Pastor spoke on Luke 7:36-50 – the sinful woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and anointed him with her alabaster of oil. I know the Holy Spirit speaks to all the Believers as one, and it seems most of my devotions and the messages I’ve listened to have been of one accord and this strengthens and encourages me greatly!!  So I was able to change up the last paragraph and claim what GOD has for me!!

When it’s all About You, You’re Living Wrong

This Christian life isn’t about what can you do for me, it’s about what can I do for God and others. If we’re taking offense at someone’s words or actions, that means it’s all about us; it’s all about what just happened to us . When we take offense, we’ve allowed bitterness into our hearts.  When we think or dwell on that bitterness, it begins to take root in our hearts. When we allow bitterness to take root, we stop allowing God’s love to fill our hearts.  When we’ve stopped God’s love growing in our hearts, our hearts begin to harden and constrict, and we’re not able to expand our hearts and grow our love for others. With our hearts hardened we’re controlled by our flesh and its worldly desires, instead of, the love that God wants us to share.

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. (Galatians 5:24 NLT)

We’re not here to see what we can get from God; we’re here to see what we can give to God. He’s already given us His Son along with His righteousness, to be called His adopted children.

For just as by one man’s disobedience (failing to hear, heedlessness, and carelessness) the many were constituted sinners, so by one Man’s obedience the many will be constituted righteous (made acceptable to God, brought into right standing with Him). (Romans 5:19 AMP)

Jesus gave a parable to the people in Matthew 25, about the Master who gave talents (this was a very large amount of money, comparable to 16 years of wages) to each of his three servants. The first and second servant doubled the amount of talents and the third hid the talents. The first two were given more because of what they did with the talents, while the third was tossed into ‘outer darkness’.  The parable represents that the ‘gifts’ or 'responsibilities' that we all have been given to further the Kingdom of God, each person is given a gift from God – whether it be a gift of musical abilities, speaking, teaching, helping others with a service related ability; everyone has something that they can use.  Maybe you have a car and can take others to church with you, maybe you have lots of friends and you can invite them to service, or maybe you have a job skill that you can share with the church. Everyone has something and one day we will all be accounted of how we used those gifts.  Based on how you use those gifts or responsibilities, means whether or not you hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.” OR cast into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (quoted from Matthew  5:14-30 NKJV)

The reason we use our gifts isn’t because we’re afraid we’ll be cast into ‘outer darkness’, we use our gifts because our hearts have been enlarged by God and we want to please Him. Yet, we can’t do that if our hearts have been overgrown with bitterness, that bitterness is what caused the third servant to hide his talents – he believed the Master was a cruel and a hard person. 

If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. (Philippians 2:1-4 MSG)

When we’re busy loving others and putting God before ourselves, we’re not comparing ourselves to our neighbor and feeling sorry for ourselves or jealousy. Comparing only leads to thoughts that we're superior or inferior, so either way, we're making it all about us, instead of God. When God is first, our priorities fall into line with God’s plan for our lives and that’s where the blessings are.

Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. (Galatians 6:4 NLT)

Focus on what you can do for God today and when you’ve given of your heart to God, you will always hear ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.”