The Best Portion

Whenever my family went out to eat at restaurants, I was convinced that my dad never liked what he ordered. He would start on his steak but then always cut off large pieces for me. If I liked his dish, he would offer to trade plates so that I could have it instead. Only when I grew older did I learn that he always saved the sweetest or most tender parts of the dish for me, even if he enjoyed it just as much.

Similarly, the book of Mark recounts a story in which a woman decided to offer Jesus her most valuable possession—an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard (Mk 14:3). This was typically a wedding gift that would have taken one year of wages to save up for (equivalent to about $30,000 today), but the woman used it to anoint Jesus and honor Him. In a contrasting example, the Israelites in the days of Malachi followed God’s commands to offer animal sacrifices, but chose to give Him the sick and injured animals they didn’t want (Mal 1:13). Their actions did not reflect the belief that God deserves the highest glory and honor.

Do we offer our best to God or just the leftovers of our time and energy?

Every day, we make decisions in our lives that determine how we allocate our time, which in turn reflects what takes up the largest portion of our hearts. For example, after school or work, do we spend all of our precious free time on entertainment or use some of it for spiritual cultivation? Do we prepare for an RE lesson the night before or dedicate several hours during the week to lesson planning?

We show God how important He is in our lives by deliberately blocking out times in our schedule for Him, without hiding behind excuses that we’re too busy. When we reflect upon all His mercy, love, and blessings throughout our lives, we will naturally develop an unquenchable desire to draw closer to God and easily make sacrifices for Him.

Jesus commended the woman who anointed Him by saying, “She has done a beautiful thing” (Mk 14:6, ESV). By giving careful thought to our ways and learning to give God the best portion, we can also do something beautiful, worthy of His glory and grace.

“Give of your best to the Master, Give Him first place in your heart; Give Him first place in your service, consecrate every part.” 

- Barnard, Charlotte A. "Give of Your Best to the Master.” 1902. Comp. by Howard B. Grose

Questions for Reflection

1.     What does it mean to give our best to God?

2.     Why do we find it difficult to give our best to God?