This week, I re-read the story of Mary and Martha. (Head to Luke 10:38-42 for a reminder.)
I think any woman seeking to grow in her faith would hope to be Mary in this story – sitting at the feet of Jesus, soaking up His wisdom.
However, if we are forced to look beyond the story and examine our own lives, many of us would find more Martha tendencies than we would care to admit.
For example…have you ever been rushing to get out the door on Sunday morning because you were singing on the worship team….and skipped your quiet time to make rehearsal?
Or have you ever found yourself in seasons where finding time to pray (other than meals & before bed with your kids) was non-existent, yet you somehow found time to teach Vacation Bible School, wash cars for a mission trip fundraiser and deliver advertising posters to local businesses about your church’s upcoming women’s conference?
I could go on…but I think you get my point.
Sometimes, we can get so busy doing things for Jesus that it distracts us from Jesus.
Am I telling you not to serve? Absolutely not. Giving back to our churches through serving in areas God has gifted us puts our talents and abilities to excellent use. But we still have to keep the main thing the main thing.
Tony Evans bluntly put it this way:
“If you are not spending time cultivating your relationship with the Savior, it is not because you don’t have the time. It is because you don’t prioritize the relationship. Whatever is first in your life, you will find the time to do.”
Maybe you didn’t relate to my examples at all. Perhaps the things you’re busy with have nothing to do with your church activities – it’s more wrapped up in your job, your reality TV obsession, or some hobby.
The lesson remains the same.
If you’re too busy to spend time with God, you are robbing yourself of a blessing. The blessing of sitting at His feet. The blessing of His wisdom. The blessing of His comfort and His presence.
Imagine the time of day you are the busiest, the most inconvenient time to be interrupted. But if someone came up to you and said, “I have something to teach you that wil change your life,” would you listen?
Because that’s exactly what time in God’s presence will do. Reading His Word transforms our minds. Seeking His wisdom positions us exactly where He wants us. Spending time in prayer softens our hearts for others and deepends our relationship with Him.
And the more time we spend with Jesus, the more our lives mirror Him to a lost world in desperate need of Him.
I know many of you reading this enjoy working out like I do. But take yourself back to those first few weeks of exercise. Finding the time was hard. Being committed daily was a challenge. And it seemed like forever until you started seeing results.
Spending time with God every once in a while won’t give you a rock-solid relationship with Christ just like one workout every once in a while won’t give you a rock-hard body. Consistency makes the difference.
Commit to sit at His feet daily. You will be blessed.