Loving God with All Your Heart

by Caryl Havasy

She loved much. ~ Luke 7:47

Read Luke 7:36-50 and Psalm 51

Last Christmas as we were leaving my Steve’s parents’ house, my bottle of Beautiful perfume cracked open in my travel bag in the back of our minivan. Within minutes the fragrance filled our van and became overpowering. So strong was the smell that we had to ride with the windows open in December – even after we removed the bottle and the bag (all my stuff was now in Wal-Mart bags!)! I have to admit I was upset that my expensive perfume was wasted on our minivan and luggage! I knew that with our tight budget it could not be easily replaced. So I did what any mature grown woman would do – I pouted. It was my perfume, and I should have been the one to wear it! “I was worth it.”

Then God reminded of another lady, a precious sister, who broke her expensive perfume on purpose. It was a deliberate choice – an act of her will, her heart. And while I was like those concerned with the cost, she had found one truly worthy – worthy of all and the best that she had to give. His name is Jesus.

What motivated this woman to break open her alabaster vial of perfume and pour it out on Jesus’ feet? Love. Love as a result of the forgiveness of God. We know that “she is a sinner, an immoral woman” (Luke 7:39). Like David, her “sin is ever before her” (Psalm51:3). Yet she knows the “only One she has offended” (Psalm 51:4) is the only One who can forgive her and cleanse her and “create in her a clean heart” (Psalm 51:10). So she comes in faith, with a “broken and contrite or repentant heart, which God will not despise” (Psalm 51:17). And now Jesus says, “her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.”(John 7:47) This lady saw the depth and debt of her sin, and because of the greatness of God’s grace and mercy she is now forgiven. Now there is only the depth of her love and the debt of her gratitude to Jesus.

Are you loving God today? In view of your forgiven “debt,” are you loving much or little?

Like this woman, do you see Jesus as worthy of those things that are most precious and valuable to you?

As that precious alabaster vial was broken at Jesus’ feet and the perfume spilled out, I imagine her saying “I surrender all.” All that my life has been, all of my accomplishments, all of my failures, all that I have worked for, everything that has been most important to me I give to you. I leave it behind to follow You. “I surrender all.” All my future needs, my security, my self-sufficiency, I give to You. I trust You to meet all my needs present and future according to Your riches in glory – not by my own wealth or prosperity or strength. Everything is Yours – I will not withhold anything of myself from You. My alabaster vial is broken.

Is your vial broken for Jesus? Or are you just pouring it out a little at a time, holding something back “just in case”? Will you irrevocably give Him your most precious treasure? Will you break it open for Him? Will you give Him your _________? Jesus alone is worthy.

As this sister came in faith and repentance, receiving the salvation of her soul, she surrendered her broken life to Jesus. And through the fullness of His grace He used her brokenness and gave her a testimony – a witness that “wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her” (Matthew 26:13). David said it this way, “Create in me a clean heart…restore to me the joy of Your salvation…then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will be converted to You.” (Psalm 51:10-13) Jesus desires to use your brokenness in the same way. He longs for those around you to see, to take notice that you have been with Jesus (Acts 4:13).

Are you allowing others to see your brokenness as this woman did? Or are you trying to keep it all together for those around you? What will it take for you to live a transparent life worth asking about? (1 Peter 3:15)

I pray that as we continue to learn how to love God with all our hearts that we would be able to live a life of love and gratitude, completely surrendered to the Lord Jesus Christ. And that through our broken lives made whole, sinners would be turned back to God to the praise and glory of Jesus Christ our Lord.