One thing is needful. That’s what Jesus says to Martha in Luke 10:38-42. Five verses that tell the story of two sisters with polar opposite attitudes and actions. From it, we learn what the Lord desires from us above all things.
Martha Had A Mind To Work
Luke 10:38-42 KJV – Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
I’m sure every woman out there can relate to Martha at some point because we are so busy! Whether it’s at home, work, school, church, or in our communities, we all have roles and responsibilities that swamp our schedules and stress us out.
The Lord has grown me quite a bit in this area, but I have to admit, there are times I let the distractions of daily life pull me away from the one thing that is needful. He lovingly reassures me that among all the tasks I must fulfill, the most crucial one is to devote time to His presence, absorbing His word and gaining His wisdom. It’s vital for my spiritual growth and stability, and without prioritizing the one thing that is needful, I’m a hot mess like Martha!
Mary Had A Heart To Worship
Mary was commended by the Lord for her choice to seek his face, sit at his feet, and soak up his word. She chose the good part and he was not going to pull her away from that intimate time with him. Martha had a choice too, but she was focused on the physical service to the Lord rather than the spiritual sustenance she could receive from Jesus.
Mary had a heart to worship, and Martha had a mind to work.
The most beneficial thing we can do is worship Jesus. Does that mean we need to drop all of our other responsibilities and sit around and read the Bible all day? Of course not. The Lord saved us to do good works, evangelize, and disciple. (Eph. 2:10, Matt. 28:19-20, Titus 2:3-5) But worship should always come first.
Psalm 73:25 KJV ~ Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.
Seek His Face
We want to be women with hearts like David, who earnestly desire the presence of the Lord. David faced adversity and afflictions with his affection set on things above. He wasn’t perfect, but the Bible calls him a “man after God’s own heart” (1 Sam. 13:14, Acts 13:22), because of his worshipful devotion to the Lord and His word.
Psalm 27:4 KJV ~ One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.
Seek the face of God first, and he will give you the grace and strength you need to serve others for his glory.
Psalm 27:8 KJV ~ When thou saidst, seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.
The Devil Knows One Thing Is Needful
The devil aims to keep you lost in the fog of your flesh, and he drowns out the Spirit’s voice with the noise of this world. He wants you:
- Distracted by worldly pursuits.
- Daunted by daily plans.
- Defeated by guilty pleasures.
That’s because he desires to steal your peace, kill your joy, and destroy your testimony. That’s his agenda. (John 10:10). He can’t take your salvation from you, but he can sure snatch away your effectiveness.
The devil knows one thing is needful, and he will work overtime to keep you from sitting at the feet of Jesus and soaking up His word. Without worship, you won’t be focused, faithful, or fruitful for the kingdom of God. Don’t let the devil manipulate you!
Prioritize Time With the Lord
Make time in your schedule to read the Bible and pray. Let Jesus instruct and inspire you so you can invest in ministry to those around you in the Spirit and not in the flesh.
If you have surrendered your life to the Lord Jesus Christ, you are his, and he is yours. The Lord and his glory should be the priority of your life. He is worthy of that position; he earned it; he died for you so that you could live for him. Give Jesus the time he deserves!
It takes discipline, humility, and sacrifice to maintain quiet time with the Lord, learning from Him, proving your love to Him, and pledging your loyalty to Him. But the eternal rewards are worth anything we have to release or replace.
God is good, He loves you, and He desires close fellowship with you. Purge the dispensable and prioritize the essential. Devote more time to memorizing and meditating on scripture, to be sober-minded and Spirit-filled. That way you can respond to stressful situations with peace and grace, instead of with anxiety and anger like Martha did.
John 15:4-5 KJV ~ Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Pin to read later or share with a friend:
More Like One Thing is Needful:
The Power of Worshiping God in Spirit and in Truth
Renew Your Mind and Revive Your Heart with ‘It is Written’
Go From Worry to Worship ~ Shifting your focus from the “What ifs” to “What is”
4 Signs of a Stressed-Out Servant and 4 Steps to Restore Spiritual Serenity
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Martha is my Old Testament alter ego for sure. Thank you for sharing this today!
Thanks for reading! 🙂
Thank you for the reminder! It’s so easy to caught up in the cares of life that I neglect my relationship with Him.
Thanks for reading! 🙂
So well written and so true. It is easy to get caught up in the “doing” side of life. It must be a priority for us to have this special time with The Lord! Amen. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for reading! 🙂
It is easy to allow the busyness of life to distract us from our Lord. I am learning to purposely make time a priority with Him. This is a beautifully written post and it is very encouraging. I love your writing, so full of biblical truths. Blessings.
So many women struggle in this area. My prayer is that his word would continue to go forth and convict and correct so that we have hearts, homes, and ministries thriving with Spirit-filled because they spent time with Jesus. 🙂
Such a good reminder – I too can relate to you and Martha! In fact, I had a Martha post on my list of topics in the future. Thank you for sharing! I love it. Beautifully written!
Praise the Lord, I’m glad it was a blessing to ya! He speaks through the pages of his word, I just share it, all glory to God for the gift he’s given. 🙂
Absolutely!! Amen! 🙂