Wasted Love

When we were in the process of building our current home, we lived for a short time in a rental house owned by some good friends of ours. After about 2 weeks of living there, the next-door neighbors showed up with a basket of cookies, candy and the nicest hand-written card welcoming us to the neighborhood. I stood there in the doorway and thanked them for the gracious gift, but I felt like it was only right to let them know that we were only going to be there temporarily until our house across town was finished. They seemed sad to hear our news, shook our hands and left to go back to their house.

I found it a little humorous (and a bit depressing), but after that day, they never waved, didn’t talk to us, and certainly never baked us anymore homemade desserts. It was as if the moment they found out we wouldn’t be there long, they decided they didn’t want to go to the trouble of cultivating a friendship. They didn’t want to waste their time on us when we were only going to be leaving anyway.

As I think back on this story, my mind can’t help but remember two separate illustrations from the Bible. First, the story of Mary Magdalene. She was a sinner, “an immoral woman,” who came to Jesus and poured out an entire bottle of extremely expensive perfume on His feet while she washed them and wept. Some of the disciples that saw this said it was a waste and that she should’ve sold the perfume and given the money to the poor instead. But Jesus looked at them and said “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” (Luke 7:47). The perfume that some would say was wasted on Jesus was the best, most precious and highest gift she could give Him to show her honor, love and gratitude.

Then of course, the story of Jesus on the cross – dying a brutal death as the sacrifice for all sin for all mankind. At the moment He gave His life for us, He already knew that many would disown him, curse His name and turn their backs on Him. But you see, Jesus is all in with us. Even though He knows the end from the beginning, He still pours out his mercy, grace and incredible love on us.

What do these two stories have in common? I see a beautiful common thread of completely emptied-out, running-over, wasted love. The definition of the word “waste” in the Webster’s Dictionary is this: “use or expend carelessly, extravagantly...”

I think of times in my life where I’ve felt that there were wasted years or love poured out into people who never reciprocated. Or maybe they reciprocated with the very opposite of love and turned their backs on me. We’ve all been there. But Jesus continually shows us that real love is never wasted, and that in it’s very essence is the definition of true love or “agape love” which is the love with which God loves us. It means “un-conditional.” Think about that – a love without condition. To me this says, “no condition could ever stop me from loving you.” Wow. This sets the bar high, don’t you think?

I want to love people like they’ve never hurt me – I want to live a poured-out life for others and waste everything I have on them even while knowing that I won’t always get the outcome I desire. It was worth it to Jesus, so let’s make this our mission.

Read: Luke 7:36-50

Pray: Dear Heavenly Father, I come to You right now asking You to truly help me learn to love. I want to love others with the same love You have shown me. I want to pour out my love and not hold anything back. Help me to see nothing as wasted, but to love with no conditions. In Jesus’ Name, amen.