“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.” (Luke 10:41-42)
I met a YMCA Executive recently who told me that YMCAs across the country are asking their boards to make sure that their appointed executives achieve some sense of balance in their lives. In other words, people should never allow their walks with the Lord, or their relationships with their families, to suffer at the expense of work.
His story reminded me of a college professor of mine who told our freshman health class to be sure we had eight hours of sleep, eight hours of work, and eight hours of leisure. “Life must have balance,” he taught.
I don’t agree with his formula, but I do agree that life must have balance, and that balancing act must begin by putting our relationship with the Lord first.
The Bible agrees. In fact, Jesus once told Martha, the sister of Mary and Lazarus that she needed to rethink her priorities. It seems Martha was a little upset with Mary because she dropped what she was doing to sit at the feet of Jesus. Martha, however, continued with the housework until she had enough. “Lord,” she said, “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 told Martha that it was Mary who had made the right choice by putting the Lord first in her life. “You are worried and upset about many things,” He told her, “but only one thing is needed.” (Luke 10:41-42)
Well Martha apparently heeded Jesus’ advice because when He arrived to call Lazarus from the grave, it was Mary who stayed in the house and Martha who went out to greet Him. Even though Lazarus had been dead for four days, Martha told Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” (John 11:21)
You probably never realized that it was Martha to whom Jesus said: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” Jesus even asked her, “Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)
Her reply confirms just how much Martha’s priorities had changed: Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.” (John 11:27)
It’s not hard in today’s world to become a little confused about our priorities. Think about it. We’re always trying to steal a moment here and there, or squeeze little more out of life. Yet when our backs get up against the wall, it’s then that we somehow find the time to look up and ask the Lord for help, finally realizing that Jesus was right all along: “Only one thing is needed.”
We try to make life so complicated when the simple truth is once we put God first in our lives, everything else will fall into place. That doesn’t mean that life will be a bed of roses, but it does mean that God will be there to help us bring order out of chaos. Proverbs 3:6 says it this way: “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
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