Loving Lavishly

 "See what great love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God!" 1 John 3:1

    The verse above says God "lavished" His love on us. Wanting to know more, I looked up the word "lavish." It means "very generous or liberal in giving or spending, extravagantly so; prodigal." That word "prodigal" reminded me of Jesus' parable about The Prodigal Son so I looked up that word, too. It's definition is "exceedingly or recklessly wasteful, extremely generous; lavish, profuse."

    Lavish, indeed! "You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows." (Psalm 23) "Test me in this and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." (Malachi 3) "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap." (Luke 6)

    Have I loved Jesus in return as He has loved me? 

    My heartfelt prayer this Lenten season is that I love Jesus with the same abandon as did this woman in the gospel of Mark:

    "While He was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of 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 present were indignant about this perceived "waste" of perfume, which was worth about a year's wages. 

    In response to this, Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me...She did what she could." (Mark 14: 6, 8)

    The woman broke the jar so there was no going back, no effort could be made to save some perfume for herself. She went all in, publicly, undeniably, extravagantly. As the aroma filled the air and poured out into the streets, her love for Christ became common knowledge. Indeed, Jesus had said that "wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her." (Mark 14:9)

    Oh, Jesus, who has loved me so lavishly that You laid down your life for me, may I spare no expense, may I never think twice about how it looks to anyone else, but may I just love you wastefully, recklessly, extremely so! I want to be remembered for doing something beautiful for You! Grant me a grateful heart so I will do whatever I can for You. Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, worth all I have to give, which will never be enough.

"What language shall I borrow 

To thank Thee, dearest Friend,

For this Thy dying sorrow,

Thy pity without end?

Oh, make me Thine forever!

And should I fainting be,

Lord, let me never, never,

Outlive my love for Thee."

-from the hymn, "O Sacred Head Now Wounded"

"But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What's more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them as garbage..." Philippians 3: 7, 8