Weekly Devotions
Week of March 1st, 2010

By Anita Lie Carman
Founder and President of “Inspire Women”

More concerned to be right than to love

Dear Faithful One,

Have you ever dug in your heels and insisted on being right and doing things your way? Meanwhile, have you crushed someone's heart and love in the process?

Luke 7:36-40 tells the story of a Pharisee who invited Jesus into his house.  God's Word tells us, "When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them." The Pharisee saw himself as being more spiritual than the woman. He questioned why Jesus allowed her into His presence. Verse 39 tells us his secret thoughts, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is - that she is a sinner."

Jesus, knowing what the Pharisee was thinking confronted him.  In the Pharisee's mind, the woman was unclean and Jesus was violating the law by allowing her to touch him. With this assessment was also the implication that he viewed himself as obeying the law and being right before God. Speaking to this arrogance, Jesus pitted his confidence in being right versus a woman's heart that trusted in God for forgiveness and wanted to worship Him.  Oh Faithful One, has someone ever crushed your worship and made you feel inadequate?

Jesus says to the Pharisee in verse 40, "Simon, I have something to tell you."  Fortunately, Simon had the humility to say, "Tell me, teacher" as compared to some who are so sure of themselves they can only hear themselves talk.   Jesus showed Simon that while he focused on being right, he totally missed the fact that he was a bigger sinner than he thought and all his right acts could not pay his debt. Meanwhile, the woman recognized her sinfulness and worshipped God extravagantly because she was overwhelmed with gratitude for her Savior.

Did you know that your self righteousness shows in the way you worship?  Do you worship legalistically to check a good deed off your list or do you worship from a heart that pours out extravagant love? Jesus said to Simon in Luke 7:44-47, "I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.  You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet.  You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.  Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven - for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."  NIV.

I remember a time when God led me to do something extravagant. It defied logic.  He wanted pure worship from a heart that simply says, "If this pleases you, Lord, let me pour out my life, my time, and my greatest treasures at your feet simply as an act of worship and not assess worship by some financial rate of return!"  Oh to be careful that we do not argue against worship with human reasoning. Oh to know that God is deserving of our extravagant worship.  I wonder today if God is asking for your extravagant worship in some way in the way you love those around you and in the way you love Him.

I pray this devotion encouraged you in a special way. When I pray for you, I hear a victory song. I believe in you because I believe in the power of God's Word in you as you put His Word into action.

Love,

Anita