LUKE 10:38–42 – Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40 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.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
THEME OF THE DAY. DON’T MISS THE LESSON. Well, Christian, what has God taught us during this time of isolation and having the normal routines in our lives drastically altered or halted? I am not talking about learning persevering prayer begging God to stop this pandemic. Please do pray for His intervention, but the priority is not our deliverance, but His purposes fulfilled, His glory revealed, the furtherance of His Gospel, and the building up of His people into the image of His Son.
When it comes to spiritual lessons to be learned during this crisis, we need to start with a fundamental one. It may very well be the most important lesson God wants to teach us. Allow me to explore this with you.
Perhaps the chief lesson to learn is really a self-evaluation – how serious are we about knowing God? Think with me what may well be the number one thing that keeps us from growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus (2 Peter 3:18). I don’t think I am going out on a limb with my answer. I observe it in Christians. I feel it in my life. I believe the one thing above all other things preventing a deepening relationship with Jesus Christ is self-imposed busyness. Like Martha in today’s scripture. To mature in Christ doesn’t happen from church attendance, though it is a necessary component. It doesn’t happen from a flurry of exhausting Christian service, though this too is a necessary part of Christian growth. But what is essential and cannot be compromised is unhurried, unhindered, and undistracted time in the Word and prayer to know Christ. Let busyness steal this time and not only will growth in grace cease but spiritual backsliding starts.
What if a main cause behind the pandemic for God’s children is the removal of our external busyness so we would seek the Lord more earnestly? Maybe God removed our events, activities, recreation, entertainment, and social life because they kept us from seeking Him. And if we find ourselves now filling our lives at home with worldly busyness or hours of mindless activities like social media, internet browsing and Netflix, we may well be missing a work of the Lord in our lives. How sad it would be to see no changes in our spiritual life; no increased quality time in the Word and prayer to know the Lord through this pandemic. All we will have done is change one form of soul-deadening busyness for another.
So, is the Lord getting more of us seeking Him during this time of homebound isolation? I hope so. I hope my spiritual sensitivity, your spiritual sensitivity, is recognizing this lesson the Lord might be teaching us. And may the lesson forever change us to see the most important thing in life is our relationship with the living God and giving the necessary time to develop this relationship.
PRAYER: “Father, help me not neglect the precious time I may have in Your Word and prayer to know You.”
QUOTE: “Maybe God has removed the busyness of our lives so that we may give more time to seek Him.”