One Thing Is Necessary

While posting recipes this afternoon, I came across this post I wrote back in November, but failed to ever publish because I got distracted by kids coming home from their homeschool tutorial.  It was time to feed everyone lunch and get the baby up from her nap, and a myriad of other duties.  After reading this today, I find it comical that I was "distracted" and not able to publish it at the moment.  At least I had finished my devotion time that day, and God has been bringing me back to this verse over and over the last couple of months...




Most Christian women are familiar with the story of Mary of Bethany and her sister Martha found in Luke 10.  There are even books and Bible studies written on this one story, such as Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, which I went through with a group of girls when I was in college.  My husband sometimes jokingly says to me, "Martha, Martha,"  and I understand him to be saying "you are worried about so many things."  (Luke 10:41) This is his loving way of reminding me not to worry or be anxious about anything.  

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
-Philippians 4:6-7

 As a pastor's wife and SAHM of little ones, I have many opportunities to serve others.  I love my job and wouldn't want to be doing anything else with my life right now.  But at the same time I get tired and frustrated and want to throw myself pity parties sometimes when I feel like all I do is serve, serve, serve.

"The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." -Matthew 20:28

I want to be like Jesus, so I often remind myself of this verse in Matthew and ask God to give me a willing servant's heart toward my family and others.  As I was reading Satisfy My Thirsty Soul this morning, Linda Dillow quoted the "one thing is necessary" passage from Luke 10:42.  I was meditating on this verse and opened my Bible to read this story again and some aspects of it hit me in a new way.  In verse 38, Martha welcomed Jesus into her house.  I love welcoming people into my home and having Jesus as a guest would be pretty great!  Martha's sister Mary was "sitting at the Lord's feet and listening to his teaching." (Luke 10:39)  

"But Martha was distracted with much serving." -Luke 10:40

Serving is being like Jesus, but it can also be a distraction!  Distraction from what?  "Sitting at the Lord's feet and listening to his teaching."  Martha was being hospitable and serving Jesus and was frustrated that her sister was not helping her.  So, she went up to Jesus and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Tell her then to help me."  In the recent past I have prayed a prayer very similar to this one.  Do you ever feel that you have been left to "serve alone?"  Do you ever feel like saying, "A little help, please."  So, how did the Lord answer her?  The same way I heard him answer me this morning as I read verse 41.  "Martha, Martha, (insert your name here) 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."

As I make my plans for the day, for this holiday season, I need to be reminded...

ONE THING IS NECESSARY - SITTING AT HIS  FEET  AND LISTENING TO HIS TEACHING.

A LOT of things are good and right to do, but what is really necessary?  Make this a priority.  The longer I live, I realize that "many things"  (in this season of my life - laundry, dishes, and messes) will always be there.  Instead of being distracted by serving, I want to hear Jesus say, "Melisa has chosen the good portion which will not be taken away from her."