She has done a good work for Me —Mark 14:6
If what we call love doesn’t take us beyond ourselves, it is not really love. If we have the idea that love is characterized as cautious, wise, sensible, shrewd, and never taken to extremes, we have missed the true meaning. This may describe affection and it may bring us a warm feeling, but it is not a true and accurate description of love.
Have you ever been driven to do something for God not because you felt that it was useful or your duty to do so, or that there was anything in it for you, but simply because you love Him? Have you ever realized that you can give things to God that are of value to Him? Or are you just sitting around daydreaming about the greatness of His redemption, while neglecting all the things you could be doing for Him? I’m not referring to works which could be regarded as divine and miraculous, but ordinary, simple human things— things which would be evidence to God that you are totally surrendered to Him. Have you ever created what Mary of Bethany created in the heart of the Lord Jesus? “She has done a good work for Me.”
There are times when it seems as if God watches to see if we will give Him even small gifts of surrender, just to show how genuine our love is for Him. To be surrendered to God is of more value than our personal holiness. Concern over our personal holiness causes us to focus our eyes on ourselves, and we become overly concerned about the way we walk and talk and look, out of fear of offending God. “. . . but perfect love casts out fear . . .” once we are surrendered to God (1 John 4:18). We should quit asking ourselves, “Am I of any use?” and accept the truth that we really are not of much use to Him. The issue is never of being of use, but of being of value to God Himself. Once we are totally surrendered to God, He will work through us all the time.
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Journal DJR
Good morning, Lord.
This is a good lesson for me … to just do it … sometimes just do a thing, just for love, regardless of the bottom line or functionality or anything else. When we disconnect ourselves from the context of judging our actions by their functionality or the end results … we become free to love, free to do lavish and unreasonable things, like the lady smashing the perfume jar and washing Jesus feet. So help me Lord, to do something outrageous today. Outrageous for love, not just plain old outrageous.
It is a higher road you are talking about. You know that those who walk that road will be misunderstood and criticized.
It seems that it goes with the territory … but in that territory, the criticism shrinks to minor status relative to the love which covers it all.
Just be sure that your connection and communication with Me is strong and secure. If you wander off on your own and do outrageous things, the pain can hurt real bad. But even then, there will be lessons of value and of course I’ll be standing right there waiting for you to wake up and reconnect.
You know me well. I love you.
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