How would you like to have Jesus write your epitaph? Jesus did for one woman, and that for doing a single act. “Verily I say unto you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.” (Mark 14:9). Jesus was here speaking of the woman who poured ointment from her alabaster box upon Jesus' head.

Jesus was in Bethany, having a meal in the home of Simon the leper. When this woman anoints Jesus' head with her very valuable ointment, some self-righteous people were present and began to ridicule her. Jesus sees something in her of such worth that he saw to it that, now 2,000 years later we may read of her wonderful act of love. What was it about her that prompted Jesus to, in effect, write her epitaph?

First, she saw something she could do and she did it. In Matthew 25, Jesus tells three parables teaching about the final judgment. Contrast this woman's behavior with those in the parables. She did not put it off as the five foolish virgins would have. She did not bury her talent and her valuable ointment as the 1-talent man would have. She did not have to have someone point out to her what she needed to do as those “goats” on the left needed. She simply saw something that she could do and she did it. This was then, and is today, a very rare trait.

How many of us have buried talents, are procrastinating or are waiting around for someone to tell us what to do? Most of us probably run across multiple opportunities every day to be an influence for Jesus yet pass them by. We, like this woman need to have a holy ambition that overcomes procrastination and any other hindrance.

Secondly, she did not let anyone discourage her from doing what she wanted to do for Jesus. Here was a situation where there were a lot of people around. Some of them are actually belittling her for what she is doing. How easily we become discouraged or disheartened because some foolish, ignorant, self-righteous person makes a comment about us. What we're doing is important and we can't let petty people with petty words discourage us from doing it. “Be not weary in well doing” (Gal. 6:9).

Finally, this woman had pure motives. This is shown that the fact she continued to perform the work in the face of opposition. If her motive had been to receive the praise of men, she would have ceased when the ridicule started. She sought the praise of God and cared nothing for what others thought. When we adopt this pure motive, discouragement will not be nearly the problem it is otherwise. Why we do what we do is as important that the thing we do. It is the driving force behind our actions. God is as concerned with the heart as He is the action.

Were the Lord to write my epitaph, what would it be? “He had good intentions but did nothing about them.” “He started well but quit in the face of discouragement.” “He did well but for the wrong motives.” Let my epitaph be “he hath done what he could.”