Doing Your Best

In Mark 14, just a few days before His arrest and crucifixion, Jesus sat at dinner at the home of a man named Simon in the town of Bethany. As they reclined at the table, the Bible says a woman entered carrying a bottle of costly perfume. Without a word, she approached the Lord, broke the bottle opened, and poured the fragrant oils over Jesus' head.

To some gathered there, it seemed such a waste. "It could have been sold for almost a year's wages, and the money could have benefitted the poor." (How often we find ourselves surrounded by a crowd that always finds fault in what's done for the Lord. People haven't changed.)

When Jesus heard their criticism, He told them to leave the woman alone. She'd done something for the Lord. Her heart was right. Her motivations were pure. The poor weren't going anywhere; they should have been taking care of them anyways.
Then Jesus said: "She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial."

"She has done what she could." What a wonderful thing to have Jesus say. She gave it all she had. She did her best. She held nothing back.
It seemed like such a small thing. A little act of kindness. She hadn't preached a great sermon, or laid healing hands on the sick. She hadn't performed mighty miracles. She hadn't called down fire like Elijah, or stood up to the injustices around her as the prophets had. But she'd done what she could.

That's all the Lord ever asks of any of us. Just do what you can. If you can't preach, then don't. If you're not a great Bible teacher, that's okay. Just do what you can. Give it your all. Do your best for Him. And one day, when you stand before Him, you'll hear Him say of you, "Well done! You did what you could."