Only One Thing is Needed and Mary has Chosen it - Luke 10:42

“There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.“ (Luke 10:42 NLT)

Only One Thing is Needed and Mary has Chosen it – Luke 10:42

Hi friend!🌻

Some of us are exhausted right now because we’ve been doing everything except sitting at the feet of Jesus. I know this is true for me and if it is for you as well, I hope this encourages you today.

Jesus will never pour us out in service to Himself or others without filling us to overflowing first. I forget this at times, especially when I’m excited to help out in a certain situation. But setting things in motion in my own strength usually doesn’t work out too well for me. How about you?

This is where Martha found herself.

In Luke 10, Martha joyfully welcomed Jesus and His Disciples into her home and immediately became consumed with preparations and serving. Meanwhile, her sister Mary sat quietly at the feet of Jesus, drinking in every single word.

I have to imagine the more Martha focused on her sister, the more Jesus’ voice must have faded into the background. She was distracted and the joyful event was no longer joyful for her. Then she rebukes Jesus: “Lord, don’t You care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” (Luke 10:40)

But Jesus responds with gentleness: “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 away from her” (Luke 10:41-42 NLT).

“My dear Martha.” Jesus was gently reminding her Who she belonged to and, in Him, only ONE thing was truly needed. Not more striving. Not more hustle.

Jesus said the better thing was simply being with Him.
And maybe this is a reminder we all need today?

Some of us are pouring ourselves out in service for Jesus while neglecting intimacy with Him. And the heartbreaking part is this: We can falsely believe God is most pleased with us when we are constantly doing something.

But in Luke 10, Jesus revealed something radically different.

At first glance, Martha looks responsible and Mary almost appears unproductive, doesn’t she? But heaven sees it differently: “Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Jesus didn’t allow Martha to lay guilt on her sister for prioritizing Him over the pressing needs she herself deemed more important in that moment. When we try to push something through in our own strength, we risk placing unfair expectations on others and even questioning our dear Lord about His priorities, too, lol.

But, even more importantly here, Jesus was speaking to the eternal nourishment that Mary chose over temporary productivity which will never be taken from her.

Mary chose stillness with Christ in a world filled with distraction. She chose listening instead of rushing, intimacy instead of activity and worship instead of worry. And what Mary received in his presence was eternal and no one (not even the devil himself) can ever take that away from her.

This beautiful scene reminds me of Jesus’ loving words from Matthew 6:19-21 … “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

Perhaps, this is a message we needed today? Especially when we love Jesus but we’re tired. We love serving but we’re weary. We’re smiling but we’re crumbling under all the anxiety, pressure and emotional exhaustion. Pretty much, we appear to be functioning on the outside while collapsing on the inside.

And perhaps, like Martha, a part of us wonders:
“Jesus, don’t You SEE how much I’m carrying???”
Yes, He sees us, my friend. The enemy is watching as well …

Satan doesn’t always pull believers away through obvious sin. Sometimes, he just keeps us distracted in our overwhelm until our prayers become rushed, our worship becomes routine and sitting with Jesus starts to feel optional.

Mary sat at Jesus’ feet because she understood something powerful: The presence of Jesus is not a distraction from life … it is the very Source of life.

We need Jesus’ Spirit to fill us to overflowing before He can pour us out like sweet wine in ministry work of His choosing for us.

Intimacy with God must come before everything else.
Being busy for God can never replace being with God.

Without His presence, serving can lead to burnout. Our worship can become routine, our faith can become performance and our obedience can become exhausting.

Some of us are weakened by spiritual thirst right now because we won’t make time to slow down and drink deeply from Jesus’ cup and the enemy sure does love to get his hands on some distracted Christians.

That’s why this story is so powerful!

What God deposits into our spirits in His presence can never be stolen from us.

The peace He gives us in prayer cannot be stolen by chaos.
The identity He speaks over us is stronger than human rejection.
The wisdom He gives us is greater than any human understanding.
The strength He provides cannot be manufactured through self-effort.

My friend, without Jesus, we are truly empty vessels. We cannot fight spiritual battles while disconnected from Him, our Source of Peace. We cannot enter into His rest while constantly running. Sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is say no to all the craziness and simply sit with Him again.

Because His presence changes everything:
The weary find rest, the anxious find peace, the broken find healing, the confused find wisdom and the weak find strength and identity there.

Perhaps today, Jesus is gently speaking the same words over your weary soul that He spoke over our sweet Martha. He sees the burdens nobody else notices and is saddened by the mental exhaustion. But, in the midst of it all, He is inviting you back to the “one thing” that matters most.

Come sit with Me. Come rest in My presence. Come choose the “better” thing.

Live loved in His presence,