The Better Thing

It seems we can get distracted from doing the better things by just "things" that don't have a lot of value. I am a chair straightener; in other words, when we have a group meeting, I want the chairs to be in lines that match up as perfectly as possible. Some may call themselves perfectionists when they do such things, but I call it getting distracted to satisfy what I think is "best." Martha was that way to the point she was complaining to Jesus about the lack of care her sister Mary was taking in doing the work around the house and in the kitchen. Martha was doing a "good" thing, but Jesus said Mary was doing a better thing, because she was worshipping Him and not worshipping her cleaning ability. I guess you could say she was "missing the point!"

Of course, it is very necessary to clean, but when Jesus is present, it is a better thing to focus on Him and Him alone. This whole situation is found in Luke 10: ³⁸ Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. ³⁹ And she had a sister called Mary, who was also seated at the Lord’s feet, and was listening to His word. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do the serving by myself? Then tell her to help me.” ⁴¹ But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; ⁴² but only one thing is necessary; for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

We value certain things in our lives and prioritize them to the point of losing clarity over what is better than good. Instead of setting and aligning chairs to satisfy my obsession with the chairs being "just right", it would be better to spend time praying for the Lord to work in that meeting and keep the main thing the "main thing." Jesus liked that Mary had kept her eyes on Him in worship more than Martha cleaning the house or doing chores and not spending time with Him. The writer of Hebrews put it this way in Hebrews 12:1Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. When our eyes are "fixed" on Jesus, all other thing become background things that can sometimes take our eyes off the main thing, which is worshipping Jesus, and Him alone.

Are you a Martha or are you a Mary? Choose to be the better one doing The better Things!

The Pilgrimage Continues,

David Warren