But the Lord answered and said to her, “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)
Martha had a predicament; the pot of potatoes was bubbling over, the steaks were ready to be set on the grill, the salad needed tossing, the water was running low, the beans needed to be snapped, the rolls were still in the freezer, yesterday’s dishes were still in the dishwasher, and the table wasn’t even set. What was her sister thinking, sitting there visiting with Jesus and his disciples while she rushed about like an Energizer Bunny? Martha was so frazzled and upset that she even complained to their guest of honor: “Lord, don’t you care that my sister is just sitting there, visiting with you, while there is still so much left to do? Can’t you tell her to get up and help me?”
How often are we guilty of doing the same as we rush headlong into a busy day, list ready, and objectives clearly defined? Amid the frenzy of life, we miss the Savior who is patiently waiting to visit with us. We overlook the important in favor of the urgent. As a result, we often find ourselves tackling a long to-do list in self-reliance mode, rather than leaving ourselves open to what is on God’s agenda.
When we adjust our daily to-do list so the very first item reads, “Visit with God,” we will often discover that life runs a little smoother.
Thought: Time with God is always more important than anything we have on our to-do list.