“When the disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, “To what purpose is this waste?
For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.”
Matt. 26:8-9
One of the things that God is continually trying to beat into my brain is where I need to stop and where He needs to start.
He’s also continually trying to beat out of my brain the notion that there is validation to be found in the world.
I think I’ve got a pretty good theological understanding of my inclusion with Christ in His death and resurrection and the truth that those two facts completely enable me to walk in the Spirit.
I understand my need to go to the Cross and continually die to myself and God shows me the areas where that death hasn’t yet become a reality.
As I was reading the other day I stumbled across a whole new level of dying that I hadn’t even considered before.
The writer used the episode in Scripture where Mary Magdalene anoints Jesus with the perfume to speak about the concept of wasting.
The disciples rebuked her for “wasting” such a valuable gift.
Jesus affirmed her in her extravagance towards Him.
Here’s the bombshell.
“Wasting” ourselves completely on Him is more valuable in His sight than any amount of working we might do, no matter how noble the work.
Am I willing to allow myself to “waste” my life at the feet of Jesus, pouring everything out for Him because I consider Him to be of such value that He is worth it?
Does my validation come from what I do for the Lord or does it come from loving Him with everything I have?
Am I willing to waste my life on Him?
God wants us to waste ourselves on Him.
That could look a lot of different ways and there will be working since He is a God of redemptive action.
However, when we are looking only to Him and are willing to lavish everything we have on Him, He is most pleased.
I’m fairly certain He is pleased with nothing less than that.
You can’t begin to consider the idea of wasting yourself on God if you’re still harboring some sense of rights or entitlement.
If you still have a thirst and a hunger for the things of this world you’ll never be able to waste yourself.
Hear what I say.
It doesn’t mean you can’t own and enjoy the things of the world.
It means that having those things can’t be your motivation.
Lord, I want to waste myself on You.
