She Hath Done What She Could: A Call to Surrender All

Nov 02, 2025

Devotional

Day 1: Extravagant Worship—Giving Jesus Our Best

Mary’s act of breaking the alabaster box and pouring out the costly ointment on Jesus was an act of extravagant worship, showing that nothing was too precious to give to Him. She did not hold back her best, even when others questioned her actions or called it a waste. True worship often requires us to lay down what is most valuable to us, trusting that Jesus is worth every sacrifice. The world may not understand, but when we give our all to Jesus, it is never wasted. [24:53]

Mark 14:3-9 (ESV)
And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

Reflection: What is one thing you’ve been holding back from Jesus that you consider precious—time, talent, or treasure? How can you offer it to Him today as an act of worship?

Day 2: Making Yourself Available to Serve

Mary made herself available to Jesus, stepping forward when others sat back, and offering what she had without reservation. Availability means being ready and willing to serve in whatever way God asks, even in the small or unseen tasks. Sometimes, serving God means doing the humble jobs, the ones no one else wants, and doing them with joy because it’s for Him. When you make yourself available, God can use you in ways you never imagined, and He gets the glory. [36:05]

Romans 12:1 (ESV)
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Reflection: Is there a need in your church or community that you’ve noticed but haven’t stepped up to meet? What is one way you can make yourself available to serve this week?

Day 3: Standing Firm Despite Criticism

Mary faced criticism and accusations from those around her, but she did not let that stop her from honoring Jesus. Sometimes, when you step out in faith or obedience, others may not understand or may even oppose you. But Jesus sees your heart and will defend you, even when others do not. Your service and devotion to Him are never overlooked by the One who matters most. [44:40]

Galatians 1:10 (ESV)
For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Reflection: Has fear of criticism or misunderstanding kept you from obeying God in some area? What step of obedience can you take today, trusting Jesus to handle the opinions of others?

Day 4: The Power of Personal Testimony and Thankfulness

Mary’s worship was deeply personal, rooted in her gratitude for what Jesus had done in her life. Remembering God’s faithfulness in your past fuels your thankfulness and gives you courage to trust Him for the future. When you recall and share your testimony, it not only honors God but also encourages others and strengthens your own faith. [53:56]

Psalm 103:2 (ESV)
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,

Reflection: Take a moment to remember a specific time when God showed up for you. How can you express your thankfulness to Him today, and who can you encourage by sharing your story?

Day 5: Surrendering All—No Regrets in Serving Jesus

Mary’s act was one of total surrender—she gave all she had, not just a part. True surrender means holding nothing back from Jesus, trusting that He is worth it all. There may be regrets in life, but no one ever regrets giving their all to Christ. Each day is a new opportunity to purpose in your heart to give Him everything, knowing that He will always be faithful and that serving Him is never in vain. [01:04:46]

Luke 9:23 (ESV)
And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you’ve been giving Jesus only part instead of all? What would it look like to surrender that area fully to Him today?

Sermon Summary

There are many things in life that we may look back on with regret—choices made before and after coming to know Christ. Yet, there is one decision that stands above all others, one that brings no regret: trusting Jesus as Savior. God’s faithfulness, protection, and grace have been constant, and He deserves our praise. Reflecting on the story of Mary in Mark 14, we see a powerful example of wholehearted devotion. While others sat in the presence of Jesus, it was Mary who brought her most precious possession—an alabaster box of costly ointment—and broke it open to honor Him. Her act was not only sacrificial but also deeply personal, an expression of gratitude for all that Jesus had done.

Mary’s worship was costly. She gave what was most valuable to her, not holding anything back. The world may see such devotion as wasteful, but in God’s eyes, it is a beautiful offering. True worship often requires us to step beyond our comfort, to risk embarrassment, and to give sacrificially. Mary’s example challenges us to examine what we are holding back from God. Are we giving Him our best, or just what is convenient? Too often, we reserve our best efforts for others while giving God what is left over. Yet, He is worthy of all we have and all we are.

Mary’s act also reminds us that serving God may bring criticism or misunderstanding from others—even those close to us. But Jesus Himself defended her, declaring that she had done a good work. When we serve with a pure heart, seeking only to honor Christ, we can trust Him to be our advocate. Our acts of service, no matter how small or unseen, are precious to Him.

Finally, Mary acted “beforehand”—she did not wait for someone else to move first. She seized the moment to honor Jesus while she could. We are called to do the same: to give our all to Christ today, not waiting for a more convenient time or for someone else to lead the way. Each day is an opportunity to surrender afresh, to serve with joy, and to worship with abandon. May we purpose in our hearts to give Jesus our very best, holding nothing back, and find in Him a life with no regrets.

Key Takeaways

1. True worship is costly and personal. Mary’s willingness to break her alabaster box and pour out her most precious possession on Jesus challenges us to consider what we are holding back. Real worship often means giving up what is most valuable to us, trusting that nothing given to Christ is ever wasted. The world may not understand, but God sees and treasures our sacrifice. [24:53]
2. Serving God requires availability, not just ability. Mary made herself available to Jesus, even when others were content to sit by. God is not looking for the most talented or the most qualified, but for those who will simply say, “Here am I, send me.” When we make ourselves available, even in the smallest acts of service, God receives glory and uses us in ways we could never imagine. [35:27]
3. Faithfulness to Christ may bring misunderstanding or criticism, even from those closest to us. Mary faced accusations and murmuring from others, but Jesus Himself defended her and affirmed her offering. When we serve God with a sincere heart, we can trust Him to be our advocate, knowing that our worth is not determined by the approval of others but by the pleasure of our Savior. [44:40]
4. Surrender is not partial, but total. We often sing “I surrender all,” but in practice, we may only give God a portion of our lives. Mary’s example calls us to wholehearted surrender, to lay everything at Jesus’ feet and trust Him with every area of our lives. True surrender brings freedom, joy, and the assurance that we are living for what truly matters. [34:49]
5. Seize the moment to honor Christ—don’t wait for someone else to go first. Mary acted “beforehand,” not waiting for a more convenient time or for others to lead. Each day is a fresh opportunity to give Jesus our best, to worship, serve, and love Him with all our heart. Let us purpose daily to do what we can for Christ, so that our lives become a fragrant offering to Him. [53:20]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[12:29] - No Regrets in Christ
[13:06] - God’s Faithfulness in My Journey
[14:51] - Giving It All to God
[16:09] - Mary’s Alabaster Box: The Cost of Worship
[19:11] - The Company at the Table
[21:44] - Life’s Trials: Better with Jesus
[24:53] - The Value of Sacrifice
[26:43] - Worship That Costs
[29:14] - No Regrets Serving Jesus
[31:04] - Have You Done What You Could?
[35:27] - The Power of Availability
[39:44] - Removing the Blockages to Service
[44:40] - Facing Criticism for Devotion
[52:44] - Acting Beforehand: Seizing the Moment
[55:49] - The Fragrance of Worship
[59:08] - Areas of Sacrifice, Service, and Surrender
[62:45] - Invitation: Giving Your All to Jesus
[64:46] - Daily Surrender and No Regrets

Bible Study Guide

Small Group Bible Study Guide: “No Regrets—Giving Jesus Our Best”

Bible Reading

Mark 14:3-9 (ESV)
3 And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head.
4 There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that?
5 For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her.
6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.
7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me.
8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial.
9 And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

Observation Questions

What did Mary do with her alabaster box, and why was this act significant? ([16:09])
How did the people around Jesus react to Mary’s act of worship, and what reasons did they give for their reaction? ([24:53])
According to Jesus, why was Mary’s act of pouring out the ointment not a waste? ([44:40])
What does Jesus say about Mary’s timing in anointing him? ([52:44])

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Mary was the only one at the table who chose to give her best to Jesus, even though others had also experienced his miracles? ([22:54])
The sermon mentions that true worship is costly and sometimes misunderstood. Why might sacrificial acts of worship be criticized by others, even those close to us? ([44:40])
Jesus said, “She has done what she could.” What does it mean to do “what you can” for Jesus, and how does this challenge our usual way of serving? ([31:04])
Mary acted “beforehand,” not waiting for someone else. Why is it important to seize the moment in serving or worshiping Jesus, rather than waiting for a more convenient time? ([52:44])

Application Questions

The sermon talked about giving God our best, not just what’s left over. Is there an area of your life where you tend to give God only what’s convenient? What would it look like to give Him your best in that area this week? ([32:20])
Mary’s act of worship was costly—she gave up something very valuable. Is there something you are holding back from God because it feels too costly to surrender? What step could you take to begin offering that to Him? ([24:53])
The people around Mary criticized her, but Jesus defended her. Have you ever felt misunderstood or criticized for your faith or service? How did you respond, and what can you learn from Jesus’ response to Mary? ([44:40])
The sermon emphasized availability over ability. Are there ways you could make yourself more available to serve God or others, even in small or unseen ways? ([35:27])
Mary didn’t wait for someone else to go first—she acted “beforehand.” Is there something God has been prompting you to do, but you’ve been waiting for a “better” time or for someone else to start? What’s holding you back? ([52:44])
The pastor shared about times he regretted not giving his all to Jesus. Looking back, is there a time you wish you had surrendered more fully? What would it look like to purpose in your heart, starting today, to give Jesus your all? ([01:04:46])
The fragrance of Mary’s worship filled the room and stayed with her. What is one way you can let your worship or service to Jesus “leave a fragrance” in your home, workplace, or community this week? ([55:49])

Closing Prayer Suggestion:
Ask God to help you give Him your very best, to surrender what you’ve been holding back, and to seize every opportunity to honor Jesus—so that your life would be a “fragrant offering” to Him, with no regrets.

Sermon Clips

“There’s a lot of things that I’ve done since I’ve been saved that I do regret. And a lot of things that I did before I was saved that I regret. But there’s one thing I’ve never regretted and that’s the fact when I trusted Jesus as my savior. Amen. Never regretted that. God has always been good to me.”

“I’m thankful to be in full-time ministry and how the Lord has guided and helped us and worked in our hearts, worked in our life, and given us what we have. And today we stand amazed at the God that we serve. Amen. And he has just been so good to us, so wonderful to us.”

“From the moment of birth, the Bible tells us everything that hath breath. Praise the Lord. And that’s you and I this morning. As far as I know, we’re all still breathing. We all still got breath in our lungs. And uh if not, we’re in the wrong place this morning.”

“If you and I are going to trust Jesus, if we’re going to say that we’ve got faith in him, uh, if he’s a little late with our problems, don’t worry. Uh, he’s just on time. Uh, he knows how to handle things. He knows how to get things done.”

“It is not it is not an easy life living for Jesus. Can I say it that way? I think a lot of times we think, man, I’ll just I’ll give my life to Jesus and then and then there’s just the bed of roses everywhere. No, there’s thorns that come along with roses. Right.”

“But can I say this? It may be hard from time to time. There there may be trials there. There may come death in the family of a loved one that you were not expecting. But it is still much better to go with Jesus than it is to go without him. I’d much rather have my worst days with Jesus right beside me, guiding me and helping me than I would on my best days without Jesus. Amen.”

“If we were to look around this morning, if we were to take our life and display it on a board somewhere on a white wall somewhere, if we were to drop it down and display and let our life be transparent, we could see where throughout our life, God has protected us and God has been with us and God has loved on us and God has shown himself thankful over and over and over again in our life.”

“When you find yourself on your knees, when you find yourself in tragedy, when you find yourself you’re I’m telling you that I’ve seen it happen. I’ve seen those walk away from God. I’ve seen those walk away from the house of God. I’ve seen those turn their back on the preacher, walk out on the church family. But when trials come, the first place they want to go is down to the house of God and find the preacher and find the church family.”

“Sometimes worship will cost you some things, right? It’s it’s not an easy free ride sometimes. I mean, sometimes it’ll sometimes you’ll have to take this flesh and embarrass the fire out of it in order to praise God. There have been times when I have sat in a pew and God’s told me to do things and I think, man, if I do that, somebody’s going to think I’m crazy.”

“And next thing, I don’t even realize where I’m at. I’ve got no idea the place that I’m in. And I just begin to look up to heaven and say, “God, you have been so good in my life.” And I begin to thank him for what he’s already done. And then I start thanking him for what he’s doing right now in the moments of my life.”

“If you’ll give your life to God, I’m not talking about half away. I’m not talking about just a percentage of it. We we sing the song, I surrender all. And most of the time, we’ll we’ll change that where our our mouth will say all, but our hearts will say half or some.”

“It’s not about me. It’s not about how many pieces of trash I can pick up. It’s not about how fast I can vacuum the carpet. It’s not about how many toilets I can plunge and clean, but it’s all about serving him, making yourself available, saying, “God, I’ll do if we’re going to surrender all.””

“Sometimes we’ll let a problem happen in our life. We’ll let we’ll have that valve in backwards and then all we can see is the mess. All we can see is the sewage. This man that the the the pastor that had this problem, probably one of the most happiest men I’ve ever met in my life. Nothing could drag him.”

“Nobody else may recognize what you’re doing, but if you’re doing it for Jesus, you’re doing a good work. Nobody else may see it. I don’t know what’s back there to eat. Nobody else. They may walk by your dish and think, “Man, I don’t who would make that?” But if you made it for Jesus, it’s going to be good.”

“If you can look back on this morning, if you can look back on yesterday, if you can look back on this past week or past month or past year or even years and see where God has done something, uh there ought to be something on the inside. It says, “Man, I remember when God did that for me. I remember how God helped me in those days. I remember when God was there when I did not even know that he was there.””

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