When They Question Your Why
"Then Mary took a pound of perfume, pure and expensive nard, anointed Jesus’s feet, and wiped his feet with her hair." – John 12:3
When Mary poured out that expensive perfume on Jesus in John 12, she wasn't trying to be impressive. She wasn’t calculating the cost or concerned about what others would say. She was simply expressing her love for Him in the purest way she knew how. And yet, the moment she did it, people started criticizing.
“Why this waste?” “This could’ve gone to the poor.” “Was that really necessary?” Sound familiar?
The moment you start living boldly for Christ, people will start questioning your decisions. Your family may not understand why you’re making certain sacrifices. Friends might wonder why you choose purity, generosity, or humility when the world celebrates the opposite. Even people inside the church may whisper when your worship doesn’t look like theirs.
But what others call waste, Jesus calls worship.
Mary’s act didn’t make financial sense. It didn’t align with practical logic. But Jesus didn’t rebuke her. He defended her. He said, “Leave her alone… she has kept it for the day of my burial.” That perfume filled the room, but her obedience filled His heart. He saw the love behind the sacrifice, even when others didn’t.
If you are living for Christ, really living for Him, you will be misunderstood. People will question your why. Let them. If your life is centered on loving Jesus, you don’t need everyone else to get it. You just need to stay faithful.
When the world doesn’t understand your priorities, your giving, your time, your standards, or your worship, remember Mary. Remember that Jesus saw her heart and honored her sacrifice.
Live for the One who matters. Because in the end, it’s not about being understood. It’s about being faithful.
When Mary poured out that expensive perfume on Jesus in John 12, she wasn't trying to be impressive. She wasn’t calculating the cost or concerned about what others would say. She was simply expressing her love for Him in the purest way she knew how. And yet, the moment she did it, people started criticizing.
“Why this waste?” “This could’ve gone to the poor.” “Was that really necessary?” Sound familiar?
The moment you start living boldly for Christ, people will start questioning your decisions. Your family may not understand why you’re making certain sacrifices. Friends might wonder why you choose purity, generosity, or humility when the world celebrates the opposite. Even people inside the church may whisper when your worship doesn’t look like theirs.
But what others call waste, Jesus calls worship.
Mary’s act didn’t make financial sense. It didn’t align with practical logic. But Jesus didn’t rebuke her. He defended her. He said, “Leave her alone… she has kept it for the day of my burial.” That perfume filled the room, but her obedience filled His heart. He saw the love behind the sacrifice, even when others didn’t.
If you are living for Christ, really living for Him, you will be misunderstood. People will question your why. Let them. If your life is centered on loving Jesus, you don’t need everyone else to get it. You just need to stay faithful.
When the world doesn’t understand your priorities, your giving, your time, your standards, or your worship, remember Mary. Remember that Jesus saw her heart and honored her sacrifice.
Live for the One who matters. Because in the end, it’s not about being understood. It’s about being faithful.
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