"Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume."
John 12:3
John 12:3
I have really struggled this past week. I am one of those people who, no matter where she is in life, is always looking toward, and preparing for, the "next" thing... Whatever that may be. I enjoy being able to plan for that next thing. I enjoy the excitement of beginning that next thing; and when I finally get to that next thing, I enjoy it until it is time to start preparing for the next, next thing.
I feel like, over the course of the past week, everything sort of came to a head. I finished assignments for class that symbolize the nearing of an end to the "college chapter" of my life. I realized I have just one month left as an intern. I realized that the next thing is just around the corner, and that I have no clue what that next thing is; I have no clue what to expect. I can plan as much as I want to. I can prepare something to death and still not know where I am headed or what will come of my preparedness. And no matter how much I may prepare, I find myself feeling no more certain of anything than I was before.
Graduation; finding a job; starting graduate school; getting married; whatever the next chapter of my life may hold; the prospect of all of those things brings excitement, happy nervousness, even giddiness. I feel ready for all of those things, but even so, along with that excitement and readiness comes fear of the unknown, anxiousness, a strong desire to control each and every unknown in my life, and an aggravation at not being able to do that.
Mary took a pint of perfume and poured it at Jesus' feet. She did not pour just a few drops of the perfume. She did not pour out half the perfume and save the rest for some other purpose. Mary's pouring of the perfume onto Jesus' feet was her act of worship to Him; it was her act of giving. In our worship, in true worship, we must give our everything; no matter how costly it may seem. Worship is an act of sacrifice. I cannot come to Christ holding tightly to things that I treasure (Matthew 6: 19-24). In an act of worship, I must pour out these things. Just as Mary poured out her perfume. I must pour out my will. I must pour out my controlling, selfish spirit. I must pour out my pride. I must pour out my fear. Everything I treasure that is preventing me from serving and worshiping my Master with every part of me should be poured out upon His feet; it must be released to Him so that I have room only for Him.
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great that darkness!
No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one an despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."
I feel like, over the course of the past week, everything sort of came to a head. I finished assignments for class that symbolize the nearing of an end to the "college chapter" of my life. I realized I have just one month left as an intern. I realized that the next thing is just around the corner, and that I have no clue what that next thing is; I have no clue what to expect. I can plan as much as I want to. I can prepare something to death and still not know where I am headed or what will come of my preparedness. And no matter how much I may prepare, I find myself feeling no more certain of anything than I was before.
Graduation; finding a job; starting graduate school; getting married; whatever the next chapter of my life may hold; the prospect of all of those things brings excitement, happy nervousness, even giddiness. I feel ready for all of those things, but even so, along with that excitement and readiness comes fear of the unknown, anxiousness, a strong desire to control each and every unknown in my life, and an aggravation at not being able to do that.
Mary took a pint of perfume and poured it at Jesus' feet. She did not pour just a few drops of the perfume. She did not pour out half the perfume and save the rest for some other purpose. Mary's pouring of the perfume onto Jesus' feet was her act of worship to Him; it was her act of giving. In our worship, in true worship, we must give our everything; no matter how costly it may seem. Worship is an act of sacrifice. I cannot come to Christ holding tightly to things that I treasure (Matthew 6: 19-24). In an act of worship, I must pour out these things. Just as Mary poured out her perfume. I must pour out my will. I must pour out my controlling, selfish spirit. I must pour out my pride. I must pour out my fear. Everything I treasure that is preventing me from serving and worshiping my Master with every part of me should be poured out upon His feet; it must be released to Him so that I have room only for Him.
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great that darkness!
No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one an despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."
- Matthew 6: 19-24
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