Week 2 - Listen & Learn | Day 12

SCRIPTURE - LUKE 10:38-42

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

OBSERVATION

In this passage, we see that none of the things Martha was preoccupied with were bad. In fact, her focus was on serving Jesus! And yet, Jesus says that it was her sister Mary, who sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to Him, who had chosen what was right. What Jesus wanted from Martha wasn’t just for her to serve Him. It was for her to be with Him. Jesus wasn’t correcting Martha’s work. He was correcting her priorities. Her attention was fixed on everything she felt needed to be done, while Mary’s attention was fixed on the fact that Jesus was in the room and speaking. Martha nearly missed this moment with Him because she was so focused on the tasks in front of her. She ended up drained, frustrated, and overwhelmed, but Jesus invited her to rest. And today, he invites us to do the same. God’s purpose for us is not that we live weighed down by work, responsibilities, or tasks. His purpose is for us to sit at His feet and listen to His voice. It’s easy to believe that following Jesus is mostly about doing things for Him. But following Jesus begins with being with Him. Like Martha, we can’t serve Jesus without slowing down enough to listen to Him first.

APPLICATION

Oftentimes, it can feel like there’s always more to do and more things demanding our attention. But Jesus says that only one thing is truly important. It’s not our performance. It’s not how much we accomplish. It’s being with Him and hearing His voice. Serving Jesus, working hard, and caring for the people around us are all good things. But even good things lose their purpose when they come before being with Him. When you choose to prioritize time with Jesus before anything else, you’ll be choosing what is better, just like Mary did. 

What distractions have been keeping you from sitting with Jesus and listening to Him. Whatever those things are, choose to put time with Jesus before them. The things Martha was worried about didn’t matter in the long run. What mattered was the opportunity to hear from Jesus. In the same way, the things we worry about simply aren’t nearly as important as listening to Him. Work eventually runs out. Pressure eventually fades. But the things we receive from being close to Jesus can never be taken away.

PRAYER

Today, ask God to reveal anything that has taken priority in your time over being with Him. Reflect on the things that may be distracting you from the one thing that is truly needed. Bring those things to Him, ask for His peace, and refocus your attention on listening to His voice. 

God, thank you that you invite me to lay down my worries and simply be with you. Help me focus on what is truly important and listen for your voice. Teach me to make time with you a priority so that everything I do comes from a place of rest. Amen. 

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