One night as I sat praying, I found myself thinking what a waste spirituality is (in one sense).
Case in point, there I was, just sitting.
These days, much of my prayer time is taken up just sitting with the Lord, feeding on His presence. There aren’t many great revelations; no visions for how to take the world by storm; no deep groanings or intercessions for those in need. So I have reached new levels of waste.
But I am in good company. When Jesus’s friend, Martha, was working hard to wait on Jesus and his companions one evening, she complained because her sister, Mary, sat at Jesus’s feet listening to Him. Why was Mary wasting time and making Martha do everything?
But Jesus said, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the better portion, and it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42).
Another time, a woman poured expensive perfume on Jesus’s head. Some of the disciples complained that the perfume could’ve been sold for a year’s wages and used to help the poor; they began to scold her. But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing for Me. You always have the poor with you, and you can do what is good for them whenever you want, but you do not always have Me. She has done what she could; she has anointed My body in advance for burial” (Mark 14:6-8).
In his letter to the Philippians, Paul said he was being poured out as drink offering on the sacrificial service of their faith (Php. 2:17).
Under the old covenant, priests got a portion of everything offered to the Lord. If an animal was offered, the priests got a portion of the meat to eat. They also got portions of grain offerings, and most other things sacrificed to the Lord.
But the drink offering was dumped out, wasted. No one benefitted from it.
Paul wrote the Philippians from prison. While they served the Lord and benefitted countless people through sacrificial service, Paul was dumped out in a dungeon and wasted.
Many non-religious people see spirituality in general as a huge waste. Think (from their point of view) of the hours wasted on prayer and Bible study; think of the Sundays wasted on worship instead of leisure. Think of the energy wasted on morality when we could’ve been pleasing ourselves however, whenever, and with whomever we wanted. Think of the jobs and opportunities given up because we chose to orient our lives around Jesus — our culturally-sanctioned imaginary friend. What a waste.
But to those who put time with Jesus ahead of busily serving, Jesus says they have chosen the better portion, and it will not be taken from them.
To critics of those who value Jesus over social justice, Jesus says, “Leave them alone. They do a beautiful thing for me.”
To anyone whose potential seems imprisoned, who feels they could do more if they were only allowed, the Lord says, “You are poured out to me alone and benefit me.”
And to all of us who have (in the eyes of the non-religious) wasted time, energy, and opportunity for the sake of the Spirit, Jesus says, “The one who loves his life loses it, and the one who renounces his life in this world will keep it to eternal life” (John 12:5).
Teague McKamey lives in Ellensburg with his wife and two children. He is an Elder at Thorp Community Church and blogs at thevoiceofone.org.