The ONE Thing

Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

Luke 10:40-42

Mary and Martha host the Lord in their house for dinner. Martha becomes upset that Mary is not helping her clean, cook, and serve. Notice that Jesus does not tell Martha that what she is doing is somehow flawed, inferior, inadequate, or less than. He informs Martha that there is “need of only one thing.” Everything that Martha is doing is good, but at the end of the day, at a dinner party, the food is secondary to the time spent with your company. It does not matter if the house is immaculate, if the food is prepared with expertise, and if the house is in immaculate shape; it matters that they spend time sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening to His voice.

Only one thing matters: I spent time on my relationship with the Lord. I am swamped, but today's unaddressed tasks will become tomorrow's. The money not earned today will be earned tomorrow. Few people regret not being more busy or successful at the end of life. Instead, they regret not spending more time with the people they love. Even more so, people regret not having spent more time and effort on their spiritual lives, the one thing that endures. Nothing in this world is more critical or lasting than the relationship we are invited to build with the Lord. Pay attention to the promptings the Lord provides and respond.

Do not worry and worry about many things; there is but one necessary thing.