June 2: Enjoying His Peace.
HIS PRIORITY.
"You are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary."--Luke 10:41, 42
The timing couldn't have been worse. I was trying a new business venture by starting a computer company; we leased our office space, hired employees, and launched the business. One day I got a sharp pain in my knee and suddenly couldn't walk. At the hospital, I was told that my meniscus had been crushed, and I needed immediate surgery. But I had so many things to do! Who would take care of things? How long would recovery take? Looking back, I realize that during that time God was training me to trust Him with my anxieties, my future, my bills, and my life. He was teaching me to focus on the one thing that is necessary: Jesus!
Martha had good intentions and Jesus counted on her hospitality. The biblical narrative says that "Martha welcomed Him into her home" (Luke 10:38). She wanted to make sure everything was taken care of, especially because Jesus was in her house! She definitely needed to make preparations. We are told that she was being distracted about much "service," which in the original Greek language is diakonia. How can a church function without deacons and deaconesses? They keep everything running! Well, the issue wasn't really the service. Jesus pointed out that Martha's problem was that she was worried and troubled about the things she needed to do (see verse 41). In contrast, we frequently find Mary just sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening to His voice.
When facing challenges most of us go into a problem-solving mode. We try to figure things out and spend quite a bit of energy rehearsing possible scenarios and looking for solutions. Jesus invites us to remember that we are His children. He wants us to learn to focus on who He is and His ability to provide for us. Jesus offered the cure for anxiety: many things may be important, but only one is necessary: He! His Presence! As we focus on Him--His love, His sufficiency, His peace, His power, His grace--everything else falls into its appropriate place.
My Response:____________________________________________________________
HIS PRIORITY.
"You are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary."--Luke 10:41, 42
The timing couldn't have been worse. I was trying a new business venture by starting a computer company; we leased our office space, hired employees, and launched the business. One day I got a sharp pain in my knee and suddenly couldn't walk. At the hospital, I was told that my meniscus had been crushed, and I needed immediate surgery. But I had so many things to do! Who would take care of things? How long would recovery take? Looking back, I realize that during that time God was training me to trust Him with my anxieties, my future, my bills, and my life. He was teaching me to focus on the one thing that is necessary: Jesus!
Martha had good intentions and Jesus counted on her hospitality. The biblical narrative says that "Martha welcomed Him into her home" (Luke 10:38). She wanted to make sure everything was taken care of, especially because Jesus was in her house! She definitely needed to make preparations. We are told that she was being distracted about much "service," which in the original Greek language is diakonia. How can a church function without deacons and deaconesses? They keep everything running! Well, the issue wasn't really the service. Jesus pointed out that Martha's problem was that she was worried and troubled about the things she needed to do (see verse 41). In contrast, we frequently find Mary just sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening to His voice.
When facing challenges most of us go into a problem-solving mode. We try to figure things out and spend quite a bit of energy rehearsing possible scenarios and looking for solutions. Jesus invites us to remember that we are His children. He wants us to learn to focus on who He is and His ability to provide for us. Jesus offered the cure for anxiety: many things may be important, but only one is necessary: He! His Presence! As we focus on Him--His love, His sufficiency, His peace, His power, His grace--everything else falls into its appropriate place.
My Response:____________________________________________________________
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