One thing matters above all. In the story of Mary and Martha, Jesus and His disciples stopped in a village on the way to Jerusalem. Martha welcomed them into her home. But then, Martha got very busy giving attention to all that is involved with providing a meal for 13 men. There may have been other guests present as well. Meanwhile, her sister, Mary, sat at Jesus’s feet listening to Him teach.
Mary’s failure to help her with the dinner was too much for Martha. She complained to Jesus. She wanted some help. Martha wanted Jesus to tell Mary to get busy too.
But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken from her.” (Luke 10:41-42 NLT)
Jesus was in her home, teaching, and Martha was too busy to listen. Scripture says Martha was distracted. She wanted to serve Jesus, and there was just so much to do. It’s easy to be distracted by our lists of things to do. There are arguments to be made in our daily lives about why any number of activities are important. We may be busy doing things we view as service to the Lord. The question for us is, are we focusing on the same things the Lord considers important?
I think Jesus’s words to Martha show us that unless our primary goal in life is to know God and be in right relationship with Him, everything else is done in vain. Jesus had already demonstrated on another occasion that He could feed a crowd with a bit of bread and a few fish. When He did, everyone was satisfied. Surely, if the crowd in Martha’s home needed to be fed, it could have been handled in a way that allowed Martha to listen and learn from Jesus also.
People often seek to please God by working for Him. Though the service is admirable, we can’t earn God’s favor by the things we do. We may get distracted with all the details as Martha did. We may be distracted by those around us that from our perspective don’t seem to be doing enough. But God knows hearts. Unless our heart is yielded to Him, our service doesn’t count for much.
In all of life, there is only one thing that really matters. The priority of our life is to know and love God, and seek His will in all things. Throughout Scripture, one theme is revealed, beginning with the first chapters of the Bible. God wanted Adam and Eve to demonstrate the devotion of their hearts through their obedience to the one restriction He placed on them. Through multiple stories, and many approaches, Scripture shows us one thing is important. To know God and submit to His authority is the one thing everyone must pursue. Without that, nothing else matters.
The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 NLT
What distracts you from the one thing that is important? Please leave a comment below.
Blessings,
Phyllis
© 2025 Phyllis L. Farringer
Image courtesy of Pixabay
I am easily distracted. It comes from years of teaching and being responsible for children 4 and 5 years old. Just recently have I begun making a conscious effort to focus on one thing at a time. This has helped me to listen to God more, especially in my quiet time with no distractions.
Life itself can be distracting. Thanks, Elizabeth.
Ouch mom! This ones hurts because I know that I have a tendency to be a Martha. I’m not sure how to stop and listen. I have a REALLY hard time with that and I know you have to stop and listen to hear the Holy Spirit speaking to you. I just don’t have any idea how to do that. Do you have any suggestions?
It’s good that you want to hear from the Holy Spirit. The “simple answer” is Bible study and prayer. Regular Bible study teaches us about God’s Character, and His will. When we prayerfully ask the Lord to show us His way, He does. He doesn’t show us everything all at once, but little by little. When we look to Him for guidance, and we are quiet enough to listen, He has a way of making clear what the next thing is. It probably begins with asking Him what should be on our “to do” list, and what things we should eliminate. How it all works is a mystery.
Thank you for the post, Phyllis. Two of the devotions I read today had the same message – spend time with God. I need that reminder often!
I think we all need that reminder often. Thanks, Joni.