A woman with a past.  A woman with courage.  A woman so moved by Christ's love she could not help but act on it.  Several of the gospels describe for us this unnamed woman who took a risk and made a sacrifice for Jesus (Matt. 26, Mark 14, and Luke 7).  She took her most precious possession, an alabaster jar of costly ointment, broke the flask and poured it out on Jesus.  From her courageous sacrifice, we can learn a few things about taking a risk for Christ, in other words, evangelism.

This woman was so moved by Jesus' love for her that she acted on it.  Christ's love for me and for others should be my first and foremost reason for sharing the Good News with someone else.  It shouldn't be because someone told me to do it or because that is what good Christians do (though that often is the case).  When I'm feeling challenged to share Christ either by the Holy Spirit or another believer, I need to focus in on the "why" first.  God's incredible love for me and this other person I'm sharing with needs to be my main motivation or I risk coming across as unloving, stiff or even ashamed.

Secondly, the woman in this story courageously ignored what others might think of her presence and even her offering. She received criticism and scorn from those close to Jesus. This challenges my self-conscious tendencies.  I'm often all too aware of what others think of me.  In the past, this has hindered me from taking opportunities to share His love with them. I'm learning not to worry about what others may think and simply obey by sharing His love with those around me.

Lastly, I love how God used this woman's offering as a part of His bigger plan.  I'm sure this woman had no idea that in just a few days Jesus would give up His life for all of us.  She followed her heart and responded to Christ's love with her own loving offering.  Only afterwards did Jesus reveal that her actions were all part of His plan, preparing His body for burial.  In His infinite wisdom and grace toward us, God integrates our meager offerings into His eternal plans in this world.

When I feel prompted to share Christ's love with someone, I have no idea how they are going to respond. Disinterest? Disbelief? Or a heart ready to receive this Good News? Regardless of their reaction, my job is to share Christ in a loving and relevant way.  Sometimes I have the privilege to watch them receive Christ.  Other times I trust that God will use what I shared in their lives in the future.  Either way I pray He will use my "offering" as part of His bigger plan for the person I'm sharing His love with.

Like that woman, I am moved by His love for me.  Like that woman, I hope to have the courage to make big (and little) offerings unto Him every day.  And like He did for that woman, I pray He will integrate my offering into His eternal plans for this world.

Sherry lives in South Dakota with her husband and three boys. She has worked for The Navigators for 13 years both at UW-Madison and now at SDSU. She and her husband direct the ministry work at the university. (She notes, "Mostly he directs and I wrangle our boys!") Their focus is on teaching students to be laborers for Christ for a lifetime through discipleship, Bible studies and evangelism training. She loves working with women on campus and training younger staff women that work with them. Writing is a growing passion for Sherry as she has been published in Focus on the Family and keeps a blog of their life and ministry. While she doesn't have a lot of time for other hobbies, Sherry does enjoy camping, reading and napping!