Nothing stays the same. We can count on that. Change is
inevitable. Good times come and go. Hard times come and linger. We carry
memories, hardships, and struggles, yet while we carry it all, our lives are
still changing. Our health will fail us,
and chances are some day you will lose everything important to you.
Nothing stays the same… except for Jesus.
Jesus is our constant. Life is uncertain, and sometimes I
find beauty in knowing that life doesn’t stay the same. Yet, there are other
days where I question what my future will look like. In a year and a half I
will graduate from Texas A&M and then what? Will I be accepted into nursing
school? If so, where? It always seems to me that as soon as I begin to find
myself adjusting, getting the hang of things, or simply becoming comfortable
that life changes. Life certainly keeps me on my toes. So where is my comfort,
my stability, my certainty? Surely I don’t place my confidence in the things of
the world, because nothing is guaranteed! Jesus is my security. Jesus is my
security because he is better than all comfort, sorrow, or even victory. By
placing my hope in Jesus I’m ok when things change. When the good times come, I
rejoice in Jesus. Even as they leave and a season of hardship comes upon me, I
still praise God because I am not alone! My life may be changing, but my God is
constant.
I see this best in Mark 14 in the anointing of Jesus at
Bethany. In Mark’s account he simply states that a woman comes to him, but from
the other Gospel’s accounts I am led to believe that the woman is Mary. Jesus
is in Bethany sitting at the table of Simon the leper. (Side note: Jesus is at
Simon THE LEPER’S house. How cool is it to think Jesus most likely healed Simon
and then is lounging at his table? I can’t imagine how grateful Simon must have
been.) Anyway, Mary comes to Jesus with an alabaster jar worth what is
equivalent to $45,000 today. Mary breaks it. Mary breaks a jar and begins to
anoint Jesus and the people at the table become angry. “Why was the ointment wasted
in this way?” The people were ANGRY at Mary for breaking such a valuable jar to
anoint her king. This story was made real to me last year at the VERGE
conference. For the first time I could see the story come to life. I could
imagine the people angry with Mary, and I could imagine just how bold Mary must
have been. That alabaster jar had to have been Mary’s security. Thinking of its
worth alone, it must have been something that Mary had had in the family for
years. In case of famine or crisis, I imagine that alabaster jar was Mary’s
hope. In case of tragedy, Mary could sell the jar and provide for her family.
Her alabaster jar was her security in case of change. Yet, she broke it, and
anointed Jesus. Her breaking of the jar was her confirming that her security no
longer rested in the things of the world, but that Jesus was her security. When
I first heard this story in this light, I was so convicted. I was convicted
because Jesus had never been my security.
Nothing stays the same. Friendships change, life continues
on, and every day brings its own challenges. Yet, Jesus is our promise. He is
our security that while everything is changing, we can hold fast to him and his
promise to be faithful. So I hold on. I hold on as I aimlessly make plans to go
wherever he leads me. I hold to Jesus because quite frankly I need some
stability. I need to be assured that someone is going to walk through this life
with me. Jesus is better than my “alabaster jar” of future plans or any
security I could find in the world.
So hold on. Hold on when you make a bad grade on a test.
Hold on when you have a really crummy day at work and your boss just doesn’t
give you a break. Hold on to the uncertain knowing that you have someone who is
certain to care for you. Hold on to the good times, but as they come and go
trust that they’ll be back again. Hold on to your memories, but let go of your
fear of change. Let go of your alabaster jar and take hold of Jesus. Put your
hope in Christ, and allow him to provide the security you need.
