ONE THING IS NEEDED
Opening Scripture:
Lk 10:38-42 NKJV “Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me. 41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
1. If you are a leader you must be led. If you are a feeder, you must be fed.
Pastors, ministers, worship leaders, and all church/ministry leaders exert an enormous amount of mental and emotional energy leading and feeding others. Take time to refuel every day through personal devotions just for you. This is different from preparing to minister to or lead others. We need “me time” that nourishes and strengthens us personally. Jesus told Martha that “one thing is needful.”
“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 10:41-42 Message Translation
The Amplified translation says “Mary has chosen the good portion [that which is to her advantage]…”
We make this choice every day…to be a Mary who chooses what is needful and to our advantage, or a Martha who neglects what is needful.
2. It’s not about chosing between “sitting” like Mary, or “serving” like Martha. God needs us to do both.
But all serving must be preceeded by sitting. We must get our direction from God by waiting on Him, before we try to serve Him.
Don’t get caught up in the work of the Lord before you get caught up in the Lord of the work.
God doesn’t need us to work for Him. He wants us to partner with Him by hearing His heart and getting in the “yoke” of divine fellowship. When we do, His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
When we are stressed, overwhelmed, drained, running on fumes, and generally miserable, we need to make better choices, and it begins with putting Jesus first in our life before anything else.
Matt 6:31-34 NLT “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
3. Remember that Christianity is about a relationship with God, not trying harder on our own.
Jesus is the secret to EVERYTHING! We can’t live a Spirit-filled life without spending personal time with God. He is our life, and the One who empowers us to be overcomers.
Song of Solomon 2:10-13 NLT
“My lover said to me,
“Rise up, my darling!
Come away with me, my fair one!
11 Look, the winter is past,
and the rains are over and gone.
12 The flowers are springing up,
the season of singing birds has come,
and the cooing of turtledoves fills the air.
13 The fig trees are forming young fruit,
and the fragrant grapevines are blossoming.
Rise up, my darling!
Come away with me, my fair one!”
4. Make a quality decision to seek Him first in His Word and prayer today, and everyday, and watch God fill your spiritual tank and restore your life to one of joy and victory.
Choosing that which is to your advantage is the answer.
Matt 11:28-30 “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Martha or Mary…God loves them both, but which will we be today? Which will I be today? It’s not too late to start again. Let’s choose to be both a Mary and a Martha, but in the right order, with the right priorities, and God will bless us and help us to glorify Him with our lives, which is what we are created for. God bless.
GWB
