Friends in Christ Weekly Message
July 17, 2010

     As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home. She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said. But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. “Master, don't you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand.”
     The Master said, “Martha, dear Martha, you're fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it - it's the main course, and won't be taken from her.”
Luke 10:38-42 (Message*)

We may spend a lot of time concerned about our tendencies to commit clear sins, and we should be concerned about this. But often it is not sins that distract us from a single-minded focus on Christ, but good things. For Martha, this was the details of preparing a meal for Jesus. For us, it might be church business or many other things.

Jesus reminds us that doing good things is not always the right focus. We need to place priority on listening with undivided attention to Christ speaking to us. This will lead to right action, but that won't be just good things to do. It will be what Christ has called us in particular to do and doing it in the right time and manner, which is only possible if we give adequate quality time to listening to Christ's message to us.

Are you so busy with doing good things that you are neglecting spending adequate quality time with the One you seek to follow?

Bill Samuel

* The Message version ©1993-2002 by Eugene H. Peterson.

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