Pour It On!

I love my wife. Serving her, caring for her, meeting her needs is no burden to me. I do not calculate whether we are 'equal' in our expression of love, or that I have 'done enough' for her, or if she owes, me something in return. It delights me to give her as much of my time, attention, and resources as possible! The simplest things - stopping by her classroom just to say, 'Hi' - figuring out what she would like for dinner and preparing it - greeting her when she is sleepy-eyed in the morning with a "Hey, Beautiful!" - provide me with more joy than I can tell. I do not believe that genuine love is about calculated benefits or minimum requirements. Love always appears irrational to those who view it from the outside.

I want to love Jesus in a similar manner, extravagantly and without calculation of personal benefit! A story in the Gospel tells about one woman's expression of love for the Lord that provoked a strong reaction. Take a look. "Jesus was at Bethany, a guest of Simon the Leper. While he was eating dinner, a woman came up carrying a bottle of very expensive perfume. Opening the bottle, she poured it on his head. Some of the guests became furious among themselves. "That’s criminal! A sheer waste! This perfume could have been sold for well over a year’s wages and handed out to the poor."
They swelled up in anger, nearly bursting with indignation over her. But Jesus said, "Let her alone. Why are you giving her a hard time? She has just done something wonderfully significant for me." (Mark 14:3-6, The Message)

When we devote ourselves to a passionate pursuit of Christ, we no longer think that we have 'done enough' when we go to church and/or give our tithe. We do not feel that we are entitled to some blessing just because we have completed some act of worship! We lose any sense of having a 'holy obligation.' Increasingly, our love for Him pulls us to extravagance, worshipping and serving for the sheer delight of giving ourselves to Him. In a recent conversation with some other Pastors, one of them mentioned meeting with a some couples who were preparing to leave the United States to 'bury' themselves in remote locations, far from convenience and comfort, to do missionary work. They are bright, skilled people who could enjoy great careers, make real money, and live safely and comfortably in an American suburb. Yet, they choose an entirely different way of life that appears terribly difficult to some of us. To them it is a delight. Why? No other reason than love! Some look at their choice and, like the men in the text above, say, "a sheer waste."

Paul, in his second letter to the Corinthians, talks about the ways he has served the Lord and His Church. Some called him insane for what he put himself through in order to preach the Gospel. Remember the lengths to which he went? He traveled endlessly, was persecuted, beaten, rejected, thrown out of cities and towns, arrested, jailed, and eventually would be a martyr. Why? "If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ’s love compels us." (2 Corinthians 5:13-14, NIV) John says, "We love, because He first loved us." Love begets love. Christ loves us, saves us from judgment and destruction, and sets us on a new course. And, we love Him in return.

So, Believer, have you experienced the love of Christ?
What kind of love are you giving Him in return?
Is it a calculated love that seeks to minimally meet His expectations?
Or is your love 'over the top,' extravagant, and irrational in the eyes of those who do not share it?

Jesus, in His own words, describes how we express love to Him while we are still in this world.
Read His words and then ask yourself, "How can I pour it on?"

"Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why: I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me.’ "Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’

Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’ " (Matthew 25:34-40, The Message)