While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.

Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly.

"Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."

This kind of extravagant adoration exemplifies the priority of ministry for every believer. Jesus was not saying that we should forsake the poor. But He honored this woman by explaining that her worship and adoration of Him would bring her heart to a new level of servanthood that would empower her to care for the poor and minister His love to others.

True worship of our Lord Jesus Christ will cost us something. It is in this extravagant surrender to our Lord that He transforms our hearts when we are in His presence. I won’t be able to give away His life and love to the people who really need it, if I have not come into His presence each morning to be filled with His Spirit and touched with His heart. This is what Jesus meant when he commissioned His disciples to go out and heal the sick, raise the dead and drive out demons: “Freely, freely you have received, freely, freely give.”

I cannot give what I do not have. I must come into God’s presence each morning to receive His strength, His love and His Spirit. I am inspired by the words of Jesus to let my worship and adoration of Him be extravagant each morning so that when I have drawn deeply from the wells of His Spirit, I will be equipped to minister His love to those who are in need.

Lord Jesus, thank You for calling me to another level of commitment to You. I worship You with wholeheartedness and a grateful heart. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. Touch my heart where I need to be touched. I repent for the times I have not trusted in You and for the times I have failed to come to You in prayer. I set my heart to worship You extravagantly and without reserve. I choose to be rich in your Word and draw deeply from the wells of salvation.