Make Room
Luke 10:38-42 (ESV)
‘Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, 'Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.' But the Lord answered her, 'Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.’
To sum up this week's readings:
God wants to prepare the soil of our hearts. He needs to remove all the weeds, all the distractions through the process of sanctification, making us holy. We partner with him by counting the cost and saying 'yes' to his will, letting go and abandoning our idols and making room for the King of Glory to fill our lives. This is our true worship.
At the beginning of February, Gas Street Students went on the Student Weekend Away. It was a beautiful time of encounter and breakthrough. One specific moment that has stuck with me happened during a song-writing session. The most beautiful song was written around the theme of today's passage, all about choosing to sit at Jesus’ feet and not let the distractions of life shift our focus.
The part of this passage that strikes me the most is the very last phrase ‘which will not be taken away from her’. When you spend time with God, how often do you find yourself thinking your time could be better spent finishing that assignment, preparing for that work-meeting or cooking a meal? Let this scripture remind you that no time with God is ever wasted, and it will not be taken from you.
This scripture tells us that if we are too busy for God, then we are too busy. We should aim to build our whole lives on God, the Rock, our foundation, not try to fit that last ‘brick’ of time with God somewhere into our ready-made houses. As we prioritise God and give him all the space in our hearts, we realise that suddenly we have more peace and a lot more room than we thought we had.
Prayer — Dear Lord, thank you that you care so much for me that you don’t leave me as I am. Thank you for refining me through your Word. Lord, I give you myself: please do what only you can do and restore my mind, my soul, my thoughts. Lord, I choose to sit at your feet. Help me keep the distractions at bay!