Written October 11, 2020
Being in competitive sports from a young age, I got into a life-long habit of busyness, and, in my mind, thriving in it! I pride myself on how much I do, how hard I work, or how many tasks I accomplish. I, like most Westerners, put a lot of my worth in how much I accomplish. Just look at what happens around us in our society - your net worth goes up when you accomplish something great. You are put on a pedestal at your local church when you spend all of your free time volunteering. You are praised when you do more, do better, make more money, or buy a bigger or better house, or truck, or anything else. And none of these are wrong, but I believe they greatly miss the point!
How To Prioritize Your Time
According to the words of Andrew R., “God is more concerned with [our] character than He is with [our] productivity.” And we should be too. No matter the reason, whether it’s boredom, wanting to get out of the house and do something, the need to feel productive, not wanting to disappoint someone, or ourselves, or feeling pressure to do more, earn more, or anything else, not setting boundaries and stretching ourselves too thin WILL leave us tired and frustrated. One of my mentors from college saw this in me, and shared a simple, but very wise nugget on this topic. He said to me that there are some things that are good, there are some that are better, and then there are those that are best. “Choose only the best!” he said.
Mary Chose What Is Best
I feel like the words of Jesus to Martha, sum this concept up so well! In Luke 10, Martha opens her home to Jesus, and as a proper woman would in those times, she immediately busied herself with cleaning, cooking, and hosting. Her sister, Mary, however, neglected all of these responsibilities, and instead, is found sitting at Jesus’ feet, soaking up every single word He says. Martha, not too surprisingly, is upset with her sister for not helping, and tells Jesus to make her sister help her. But much to her surprise, Jesus responds, saying, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed - indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken from her (Luke 10:41-42).”
Do you hear Jesus speaking this verse to you often like He does to me? I hear Him saying to me over and over, “Whose opinion do you value more? Whose voice are you going to choose to listen to and obey? Is it me, or your parents or peers, or even yourself? What things will you choose to let go of in order to follow me? Or to be present with your children? Will you stop striving, and instead focus on being the best mom and wife you can be? Will you let go, and trust me to provide?”
We Gain When We Surrender
When we obey Jesus and we choose His ways, when we choose only the best things, even if those are the hardest to do, we will have peace! Because peace comes by resting, not by striving. Peace comes by obeying the voice of the Prince of Peace, not by going our own way, or the way of our culture. Let Jesus’ voice be louder! He knows what you need before you ask, and before you even know what you need. And He knows what situations, what seasons, and what training zones of life will help develop the character in us that He desires. Ask Him to show you what in your life falls into the “best” category, and ask Him for grace and strength to start saying no to those things that are not. He will! And He will do it so gently and patiently, and with so much love, you won’t want to say no!
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