Over the last few weeks God has really been working on me with something, and as He usually does, He has lead me to his word and more specifically to Luke 10:38-42.  It’s the story of Jesus at the house of Martha and Mary.  As many of you may know, Martha was running around the house making sure all the preparations were perfect because Jesus was in her home.  Everything had to be perfect for the King of Kings, right?!?  Meanwhile, Mary, who was called to help with the preparations, sat in the living room with Jesus instead of helping out while Martha’s frustrations mounted.

 

This is a story that I continually have to come back to in my life.  If you know the end of the story you know that after Martha cries out for help Jesus informs her that what is actually the best option is for her to join Mary in spending time with Him.  The point of the story (which I will admit is SUPER convicting for me, and I think for many of us during this time of year) is that we can get so busy working FOR Jesus that we forget he wants us to work WITH Him.

 

The number one thing you can do in your life is to be a disciple of Christ.  This doesn’t go away when your schedule gets busy; as a matter of fact it increases!  As a pastor, a large portion of my week is spent in God’s word, but that doesn’t mean its devotional time.  As a part of the Production Team here at Pathways Church I’m working to find supporting scriptures to where Pastor Brad is going with messages.  As a part of the marketing team I’m working to put out the next quarter’s Elevate Prayer Journal to keep everyone reading through the Bible and finding passages that can be highlighted as devotional points.  Even as one on the rotation of writing blogs for the Pulse, I’m constantly working on different writings and teachings.  But notice the common word? Working… not studying the word, not applying.

 

During this season where there can be so much added to your “to-do” list, please remember that the most important thing you have to do each day is to spend time with Jesus Christ.  Even this blog, although hopefully a good reminder, doesn’t count as your God-time.  Your preparations are great.  You should put your best foot forward in everything.  But don’t allow it to distract you (the word “distract” taken directly from verse 40) from what is better (vs. 42).  What is better is to make sure you are spending time with Jesus.