Beautiful Waste

“Why this waste?” they asked. But Jesus replied, “She has done a beautiful thing to me.”
— Matthew 26:8,10
There are decisions that make sense on spreadsheets. There are sacrifices that receive applause. There are stories that end in predictable success. But the call to follow Jesus cross-culturally—to live and die for the unreached, far from home, with little recognition and often great risk—rarely falls into those categories.
It is the kind of life many call a waste.
But in the eyes of the One who matters most—it is beautiful

When Devotion Looks Like Destruction

Mary broke her alabaster jar. The room filled with the fragrance of her love, and immediately, the critics began.
“Why this waste?”
“Why not do something more sensible?”
“Why not give it to the poor?”
But Mary wasn’t looking to be strategic—she was looking to be faithful. The value of the perfume wasn’t in what it could do for the world—it was in what it meant to Jesus.
So she broke it. All of it. On Him.
That is what volunteering for missions often looks like.
You could build a successful business—but you chose a tent in a desert.
You could earn in dollars—but you chose to serve in a land with no ATM.
You could stay near family—but you embraced a language you didn’t grow up with.
You could live safe—but you chose dangerous love.
To many, it looks reckless. Even foolish. But Jesus says, “It is a beautiful thing”

A Volunteer Life: The Alabaster Offering

To volunteer for cross-cultural missions is not just to go—it’s to give your life as a poured-out offering. It’s not only about geography; it’s about surrender. It’s about saying, “Jesus, You are worth more than the safe life I was building.”
No salary guarantee.
No security net.
No prestige.
Just obedience.
Just the cross.
Just Jesus.
You leave behind what others run after. Not because you don’t see its value—but because you’ve seen Someone greater.
You’ve tasted the worth of Christ. You’ve heard His whisper in the night: “Who will go for Us?” And your heart has answered: “Here am I. Send me—even if it costs everything.”
That’s the beautiful waste.

Offensive Giving: Breaking the Box with Our Wallets

And what about giving?
Many Christians give from their surplus. Few give like Mary.
True missionary giving is offensive. It provokes both demons and disciples.
You give when others are saving.
You send support monthly even when your own budget is tight.
You don’t wait to be rich before you become generous—you break the box now.
You invest in underground church planters, secret disciples among Muslim tribes, and Bible translation in forgotten tongues. Not because there’s a return on investment by earthly standards—but because Jesus is worthy of every coin.
You give until it hurts. You give until it smells like worship.
The world says, “Balance your budget.”
Jesus says, “Seek first the Kingdom.”
And when you give extravagantly for missions, you join Mary—not just in breaking a jar—but in filling eternity with fragrance.

Waste Your Life Well

Let the world accuse you of wasting your life.
Let friends say, “You’re too smart for this.”
Let relatives question your decision to move to that remote, unreached tribe.
Let them talk.
Jesus is worthy of being “wasted” upon.
Give Him your skills.
Give Him your savings.
Give Him your youth.
Give Him your retirement.
Give Him your breath.
Let your life be broken and spilled out so that some forgotten soul in a far-off land might hear His name—just once.

Final Words: To Be Remembered in Heaven

Mary’s story was not remembered because of what she achieved but because of what she gave.
And Jesus declared: “Wherever the Gospel is preached, her act will be told.”
She was remembered not for her strategy—but for her surrender.
That is the legacy of every true missionary. You may be forgotten by men, but you will be celebrated in heaven. The fragrance of your “wasted” life will fill the throne room of God.
So pour it out. Offend the critics. Leave nothing in the jar.
For Jesus is not looking for your leftovers.
He is worthy of the beautiful waste.