What You Can

"She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial." -Mark 14:8 (NIV)

In today's suggested scripture reading, Jesus is reclining at a table in Bethany. A woman enters the room with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume. She breaks the jar open and pours the perfume on the head of Jesus. She is quickly reminded, as all of us often are, that you cannot please everybody.

Some of the guests around the table are immediately bent out of shape. "How could she be so wasteful? That's expensive stuff! She could have sold it, taken the money, and helped the poor." They reprimand her for her seeming stupidity.

But Jesus sees things differently (surprise). He praises the woman, saying, "She has done a beautiful thing. She has done what she could. And from this moment on, wherever the gospel is told, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her."

Have you ever felt prompted by the Spirit to do something that others might think is wasteful, silly, or insignificant? Have you ever felt like your contribution to the kingdom has been undervalued, under-appreciated, or misunderstood?

Then perhaps you could stand to hear these words of Jesus today: "What you're doing is beautiful. Not everyone may understand or appreciate it. But I do. You're doing what you can and I appreciate it. And your story, your contribution to my story, will be remembered and celebrated long after you're gone."

May God grant you the grace to do what you can for Christ today. It's going to be beautiful.




Tomorrow's Reading: Mark 15

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