Alabaster Jar
Alabaster Jar
Recently, I've had quite a number of testimonies to tell. Knowing myself, I have a pretty poor memory, so I wrote them all in my notes on Facebook!
So here's something else I'd like to share! :)
Last year - I can't remember for what occasion, but - my aunt gave me a lavender fragrance bottle. It's the kind where you put sticks inside and it absorbs the fragrance in the bottle, and releasing the fragrance into the air. It has a beautiful & pleasant smell to it! It's a lavender after all :p I placed it on my table, next to the window. It just seemed nice there. haha!
Just awhile ago, I came home after buying some groceries and bread for my family. I opened the window in my room for some fresh air. Then, suddenly, the bottle of fragrance tipped over as the wind blew the curtains and it hit the sticks in the bottle. I quickly cleaned up the mess and set it back upright. Awhile later, the same thing happened again. However, I didn't realize that it toppled over until I realized the smell of lavender grew stronger. I was wondering if it was the wind that was blowing the fragrant sticks… Apparently, more than that... because the bottle toppled, the fragrance spilled over all my stuff.. staining my clothes (don't ask me why there were clothes on my table), school stuff.. Gah… T.T Strangely, I'd been sitting beside it and did not notice at all.
Then I recalled one incident in the bible. A prostitute came into the house with an alabaster jar in her hand. Worth a year's wages, was it? And she used it to wash Jesus' feet. In the same way, mine technically spilled.. and damaged some of my things.. The fragrance could've lasted me a couple more weeks before it fully dried up… The act of pouring it out on Jesus' feet made me remember that following Jesus is just like that, emptying out whatever you have to give to Him, it may cause damage/compromise certain things in your life at the moment (like the woman's pride), but God is worth it. He has something in store for us way better than lavender fragrance bottles, better than our hard work of 7 years, 10 years, 30 years or even 50 years.. It's a reward of a lifetime. It's eternal life with God.
Being a christian, whether we live as those casting out demons, healing people, prophesying over people, or just living out your life as one that follows Christ… That requires a lot of sacrifice. We'll be living on earth in scrutiny, sometimes discrimination… People may laugh at us for what we're passionate about, for whom we are passionate about following and living our lives for. But, this, our lives, we have chosen to LAY DOWN for Christ alone. It is a bold move, and a significant one as well. It is showing how much we love Jesus Christ, our God.
Are you willing to lay it all down for Him today?
Recently, I've had quite a number of testimonies to tell. Knowing myself, I have a pretty poor memory, so I wrote them all in my notes on Facebook!
So here's something else I'd like to share! :)
Last year - I can't remember for what occasion, but - my aunt gave me a lavender fragrance bottle. It's the kind where you put sticks inside and it absorbs the fragrance in the bottle, and releasing the fragrance into the air. It has a beautiful & pleasant smell to it! It's a lavender after all :p I placed it on my table, next to the window. It just seemed nice there. haha!
Just awhile ago, I came home after buying some groceries and bread for my family. I opened the window in my room for some fresh air. Then, suddenly, the bottle of fragrance tipped over as the wind blew the curtains and it hit the sticks in the bottle. I quickly cleaned up the mess and set it back upright. Awhile later, the same thing happened again. However, I didn't realize that it toppled over until I realized the smell of lavender grew stronger. I was wondering if it was the wind that was blowing the fragrant sticks… Apparently, more than that... because the bottle toppled, the fragrance spilled over all my stuff.. staining my clothes (don't ask me why there were clothes on my table), school stuff.. Gah… T.T Strangely, I'd been sitting beside it and did not notice at all.
Then I recalled one incident in the bible. A prostitute came into the house with an alabaster jar in her hand. Worth a year's wages, was it? And she used it to wash Jesus' feet. In the same way, mine technically spilled.. and damaged some of my things.. The fragrance could've lasted me a couple more weeks before it fully dried up… The act of pouring it out on Jesus' feet made me remember that following Jesus is just like that, emptying out whatever you have to give to Him, it may cause damage/compromise certain things in your life at the moment (like the woman's pride), but God is worth it. He has something in store for us way better than lavender fragrance bottles, better than our hard work of 7 years, 10 years, 30 years or even 50 years.. It's a reward of a lifetime. It's eternal life with God.
Being a christian, whether we live as those casting out demons, healing people, prophesying over people, or just living out your life as one that follows Christ… That requires a lot of sacrifice. We'll be living on earth in scrutiny, sometimes discrimination… People may laugh at us for what we're passionate about, for whom we are passionate about following and living our lives for. But, this, our lives, we have chosen to LAY DOWN for Christ alone. It is a bold move, and a significant one as well. It is showing how much we love Jesus Christ, our God.
Are you willing to lay it all down for Him today?
Comments