"But the Lord answered her, 'Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.'" Luke 10:41-42
Let’s face it. We live in a culture that thrives on achievement. In our admiration of productivity it’s not uncommon to talk about how we violate the fourth commandment. We are proud of our busyness. It makes us feel important.
Today I did 3 loads of wash, cleaned the whole house, took the kids to soccer practice, had a friend over for lunch, answered 10 emails, updated my status on facebook, squeezed in a Beth Moore Bible study, and made a caramel macchiato cheesecake!
It also redirects us from the truth that life is not about us, but about God.
I believe a major source of our unrest comes from not seeing that central truth. We become like the priest and the Levite in Luke 10 who passed by the man who was robbed and beaten, left to die on the road. Life was about them. They had places to go and people to see. I bet they were busy. I bet their lives were full of sentences with no commas, too full to be interrupted.
Not so, though, with the Samaritan. He knew to slow down, to pause. This enabled him to hear the groans of the hurting man. Insignificant? That little pause? We’re still referring to it 2,000 years later!
It’s time we got over ourselves. Our busy selves. It’s time to make sitting at Jesus’ feet a priority. As we pause to listen to his voice, we will find rest for our weary souls.
Father you know what we need more than we know ourselves. Thank you for commanding us to rest. Please help us obey. Amen.
Take Action
Choose to carve out time each day to sit before the Lord and rest. Today, read Luke 10 and think about Mary, who chose the good portion.