Jesus visited Martha’s house. Immediately, Martha’s sister Mary came and sat at Jesus’ feet to hear His Word. But Martha was consumed with housework. She complained and requested that Jesus tell Mary to come and help her with her busy work. But Jesus replied:
“Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:41-42, NASB
The things that have been recorded in the Scriptures were written for our benefit (see 1 Cor. 10:11). This biblical account underscores the importance of hearing the Word of God. As Christians, we should make it a priority to “sit at the feet of Jesus” daily. By that I mean to allow Him to speak to us through His Word.
But these days, we are an extremely busy people. We have more things to do than we have time in which to do them all. So many ways for us to get side tracked. The only way the Word of God will become the priority in our life is that we are determined for that to be the case.
In this post, I am talking about our quality of life and not our salvation. I have heard some churchgoers jokingly say, “I just want to make it into heaven; I don’t care if they push me in heaven’s door just before it closes.” But that’s not my line. I am going to heaven, but I intend on living life along the way.
The point is that the more we allow the Lord to speak to us out of His Word, the more wholesome our life can be as a Christian.
Finding Time to Sit at the Feet of Jesus
Let’s get practical about this discussion. I understand the kind of world we live in. It’s crazy. It’s chaotic at times. Many of us are living life on overload. But come on; we have 24 hours a day to work with. I believe we can find some time to sit at the feet of Jesus each day.
For some, it can be as simple as getting up 20 or 30 minutes earlier in the morning. For others, going to bed a little later. Or perhaps we need to scale down the amount of time we devote to our favorite hobby. It all comes down to what matters most to us.
So, why did Jesus say to Martha, “Only one thing is necessary”? He certainly does not mean that in absolute terms. We know that more than one thing is necessary in life. On the other hand, if Jesus were to stop by your house and start talking while He is there, then only one thing is necessary. That is to stop everything you are doing and give Him your undivided attention. That in effect is what Jesus was saying to Martha.
It is of utmost important that we in effect sit at the feet of Jesus to allow Him to speak to us daily through His Word. If we fail to make our time with Him our priority; our life will lack vibrancy, power, and ample direction for life.
Copyright© 2022 by Frank King. All rights reserved.