In Luke 10: 38 we meet two sisters, Mary & Martha. Martha welcomed Jesus into their home, and was ‘concerned with much serving’, while Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and ‘listened to Him speak’.

Many of us have probably heard this story before, but I’ll paraphrase it for those who haven’t. Martha complained to Jesus about her lazy sister not pitching in to help her, and Jesus lovingly rebuked Martha, telling her that her sister had ‘chosen the better thing’, while she ‘chose worry and anxiety’.

During his rebuke Jesus also noted that ‘there was need of only one thing‘, and that caught my attention. What’s that one thing that Jesus was alluding to? I thought it was perhaps a hidden truth that was super profound. After researching and comparing a couple of different Bible versions, I noticed that it was there in plain sight and super simple.

The one thing that’s the most important, is sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening. In today’s culture, like in Martha’s time, we put service ahead of sitting. What hostess would ignore feeding and attending to the bulk of her guests, Jesus usually travelled with an entourage 🙂, while sitting to listen to one of them speak? That sounds crazy, but that’s what Jesus said was the better choice.

I see myself in Martha: If Jesus were to visit me today, I’m sure that I would be more focused on serving and caring for him and his team. Perhaps after everyone was ‘fed and watered’, I would take a moment to sit, but definitely not before then. What is it in me that causes me to choose to worry and be anxious, even when I’m in the presence of Jesus Christ Himself?

This is the perfect time to do some introspection. Ask our Abba Father to reveal it, and give it all to Him. He can be trusted to resolve whatever the issue is.

Mary, on the other hand, went again the societal norm, she ignored what others thought of her, and did ‘what she was supposed to be doing when she was supposed to be doing it’. Being able to accurately discern the correct action for each season and time is key.

Mary didn’t answer the doorbell, and welcome Jesus in, so I’m sure she had been busy making preparations for the guests beforehand. What’s important to note though is that when the Savior was present, she dropped everything and sat at his feet and listened to him speak.

Jesus was probably providing instructions for dealing with an issue, recounting a story from one of His journeys, or teaching a lesson from the Bible. Whatever it was, Mary was doing what was best at that moment. Let me reiterate, this isn’t an iron clad response for every situation, but it was the correct response for that particular time. Perhaps because of specific circumstances in the lives of the sisters at that time, but the Bible doesn’t provide details.

How many of us have issues that we’re dealing with right now, that require wisdom from God? I can picture almost everyone of us saying ‘I do’.

I want to encourage us to choose the better thing; stop, get off the hamster wheel and just sit at His feet and listen to him speak.

It’s really about pausing and trusting God with our issues and situations, while we sit, glean wisdom, insight and directions from Him, and become refreshed as we drink from the well of living water.

I know it sounds lazy and we would feel much better if we were actively doing something to rectify the issue, but Jesus said that sitting was more important than serving.

Schedule some ‘sitting at His feet time’. Time to listen, no talking needed, just listening. Be focused and intentional, and dismiss the distractions one by one as they come.

Over the past year or so, this has been one of my lessons from the Lord: learning to choose sitting over serving. There have been many occasions when I didn’t have a choice but to sit and listen, and I’m thankful for those, because they remind me that He sees my heart.

During this process I have learned to hear his voice so much clearer, to see so much better and to trust the Lord so much more. I have seen him create rivers in desert situations and open doors that seemed to be impenetrable fortresses.

What about you? Are you ready to sit and listen? Are you ready to say, like the woman at the well, in John 4:13-15, who found herself in Jesus’ presence, “Let me drink that water so I’ll never be thirsty again and won’t have to come back here to draw water”?

Heavenly Father I thank you for my sister who is reading this now. I ask simply that you would teach her to sit in your presence and listen. Create opportunities for her to spend silent times at your feet. Teach her to trust you enough to take her hands off, and entrust every issue to your care. Empower her to drink deeply from your living water, so that she won’t have to keep returning to the same issues again and again. Remind her of how much you love her. Amen.