But the Lord said to her, “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
In our world today, moving fast and quickly is celebrated. If we are not careful, we may find that we have filled our calendars with something to do every second without taking time to rest. While the world celebrates moving at warp speed, Jesus often taught something different. He taught the importance of slowing down and simply being with Him. In the weekend sermon, we were reminded that “spiritual growth does not happen by running faster. What keeps many of us from growing is not sin but speed.”
Jesus confirmed in Luke 10 that a woman named Mary understood the importance of slowing down and making time to be with Jesus. In this chapter, Martha invited Jesus and His disciples into her home. Her sister Mary was there as well. On that night, Martha was very upset because while she was preparing dinner for everyone, Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet. Martha went to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me” (verse 40). In Jesus’ day, most people would have agreed with Martha’s critique if they had observed this scene from Luke 10. After all, it was right to be a good host and feed your guests. It still is. However, we see in Jesus' response that there was something better. He said to her, “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” (verses 41-42). Jesus was saying to her that slowing down and being with Him was the very best thing she could do. Mary had chosen the best thing to do that evening, and it was not hustling. It was being with Jesus.
The same is true for us as was for Mary. Being with Jesus and stepping beyond the hustle and business of our lives is the best thing we can do. How can you intentionally slow down today to be with Jesus, even if it’s just for a little while? When we take these steps to slow down, we will begin to grow.
Our call today is to slow down. Take an hour today to be with Jesus. Go for a walk, listen to your favorite worship music, read your Bible for an extended period of time. Whatever you decide, choose intentionally to slow down pursuing what matters: spiritual growth.
Luke 10:38-42 (NLT)
As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”
But the Lord said to her, “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.”
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