I don’t know about you, but I feel like everyone needs something from me.  A lot of it is just my own insecurities, I realize. There is this fear that I live with that if I don’t come through, and try to be all things to all people, somehow I’m not a good enough person.  But on the other hand, there really are a lot of things that need to be done.  Bills need to be paid, my children need my time, my wife needs my leadership and my job needs my best.  Still, I find myself so often like Martha when Jesus came to visit, filling my time with busy work.

You remember the story, don’t you?  Jesus, traveling between villages, stops at the home of a couple of sisters.  Martha was the perfect host, doing what was expected in their culture when an important guest came to the home.  She was preparing the meal, setting the table, maybe even making up a room for the Master to spend the night in.  But then she realizes that her sister Mary was not helping at all.  She was just sitting at Jesus’ feet, listening to him, enjoying his company.  Understandably, Martha gets a little frustrated and brings up her concern with her special guest. “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken from her.” (Luke 10:41-42).

I know just how Martha must have felt.  ‘I was just trying to do the right thing.  Yes, it would be nice to listen to you, to spend time with you, but first … first some chores need to get done, first the food needs to be prepared, first I need to serve your needs.’  And make no mistake; Jesus loves it when we serve him.  The problem is when we serve him before we allow him to speak to us, to serve us.  “The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve …” (Matthew 20:28).

I think this must be where so many of us wind up missing the will of God.  Our heart is in the right place, but we begin thinking that it is all about what we do, and the next thing we know, we are doing and doing and doing and end up missing what Jesus is saying.  We even become angry with Jesus because no one else seems to get what we are doing.

Jesus’ words to us are the same as those to Martha, ‘only one thing is needed.’ So have a seat my friend, I’ll join you … as soon as I get my study cleaned up.

To the King,

David