Built to Battle – An imperfect woman did what she could

You are not too much for God.

Your pain isn’t too deep. Your way too lost. Your course too off. Your sin too gross, dark or bad. Your passion too intense.

You will never be too clingy, too needy, too insignificant for Him.

Jesus paid for you in full more than 2,000 years ago.

Nothing anyone says or does can change that. Could make the blood of Jesus less powerful. Could tell Him anything about you that would change His mind. If you were the only human, He would have paid that price just for you.

He knows you entirely.

Loves you perfectly.

Made you just as you are and promises to leave you never the same when we surrender to Him. He gives us the hope of going from glory to glory because of His grace alone. Not because we are good. Because He is. And He cannot be anything less.

In the Bible, there’s a powerful story about an imperfect woman who took her expensive perfume and in an act of unashamed worship, poured it out on the feet of Jesus. The practical men in the room who knew Jesus well, who were chosen by Jesus Himself — they chided her. Reminded her that such an expensive gift could be sold and used to feed the poor.

But, Jesus disagreed:

She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. 9 And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.” – Mark 14:8-9

She has done what she could do, Jesus said.

Today, Jesus just needs us to do what we can do. What can I do today for Jesus? He isn’t asking me to be perfect. He isn’t asking us to die on a cross.

He’s asking for the one thing that only I can give Him, in fact the only thing I can truly give Him: me.

When we give ourselves to God, when we decide to follow Jesus truly — people will talk. Sometimes the ones who seem to know Him best from the outside seem to talk the loudest, chide the offering we give. But, Jesus says it’s enough, appreciates the gift.

Worship Him.

Give Him your all.

No matter who is looking. No matter what they say. No matter what anyone thinks they know about you. God only knows. And for Him, you’ll never be too much.

Amanda Elliott is a grateful believer in Jesus Christ, wife, mom, business owner and Benton resident. She believes we are each “built to battle” by a perfect creator who made us with a capacity for victory, a handbook for success (the Bible) and a spirit who empowers us to live in peace and joy. Follow Amanda Elliott’s “Built to Battle” column at www.mysaline.com/amanda.