She Has Done What She Could

Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had leprosy. During supper, a woman came in with a beautiful jar of expensive perfume. She broke the seal and poured the perfume over his head. Some of those at the table were indignant. "Why was this expensive perfume wasted?" they asked. "She could have sold it for a small fortune and given the money to the poor!" And they scolded her harshly.

But Jesus replied, "Leave her alone. Why berate her for doing such a good thing to me? You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But I will not be here with you much longer. She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time. I assure you, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman's deed will be talked about in her memory."

The woman's name is not mentioned here, but in John 12 we are told that her name was Maria. Jesus said that what she did was so important that it would be a memorial to her throughout the ages! She did what she could. Am I doing what I can? There is something I can do, something God Himself has gifted me to do. It may not be much. It may not draw much attention, but it is what I can do and the Lord will receive it gladly as a gift from me to Him.

Every individual is a genius in one area of life or another. There is something you can do better than anyone around you simply because you are specifically gifted to do that unique thing easily and effectively.

God does not require of me that I do what others are doing. This often leads to a spirit of competition. He wants me to do what He has enabled me to do either through natural gifting or through special training that improves my natural or spiritual gifts.

Go forward doing what He has designed you to do. This special thing, or things, is something He placed within you to grow and blossom in its own time. Do what you feel comfortable doing because you know you can do it well. "It is God at work in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure." Go and do what you can do! Do what you want to do! One of the blessings of a consecrated life is that God is the one who works in your "wanter" to do what He wants you to do!

-Robert & Joni Fitts