Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. …
Luke 10"38-42
Do you know Annie Johnson Flint? You may not recognize the name but more than likely you would recognize her writing. She is a very prolific writer and I hope you will check out her many writings here:
With my last blog in mind concerning priorities I had to follow up today with Annie Johnson Flint's poem entitled Mary and Martha.
Martha was busy and hurried,
Serving the Friend divine,
Cleansing the cups and the platters,
Bringing the bread and the wine;
But Martha was careful and anxious
Fretted in thought and in word,
She had no time to be learning
While she was serving the Lord,
For Martha was "cumbered" with serving,
Martha was "troubled" with "things" -
Those that would pass with the using -
She was forgetting her wings.
But Mary was quiet and peaceful,
Learning to love and to live.
Mary was hearing His precepts,
Mary was letting Him give -
Give of the riches eternal,
Treasures of mind and of heart;
Learning the mind of the Master,
Choosing the better part.
Do we ever labor at serving
Till voices grow fretful and shrill,
Forgetting how to be loving,
Forgetting how to be still?
Do we strive for "things" in possession,
And toil for the perishing meat,
Neglecting the one thing needful -
Sitting at Jesus' feet?
Service is good when He asks it,
Labor is right in its place,
But there is one thing better -
Looking up into His face;
There is so much He would tell us,
Truths that are precious and deep;
This is the place where He wants us,
These are the things we can keep
As I grow older and wiser (smile) I am finding more and more the importance of my priorities. I can get side tracked quicker than anyone I know. I go to my (sanctuary) office to have my quiet time and next thing I know I am involved with a book or a project that is sitting nearby.
Good news is that I am learning. Learning the simple but life changing fact that God wants to be first in all things. I am not seeking perfection I am seeking to glorify God in all I do and say and this too ties into my quote from my previous post:
"When I focus not on performance or perfection but on joy, gratitude and service, everything seems to fall into place." --Sally Clarkson http://sallyclarkson.com/blog/
Add to that seeking to make time with our Lord priority everyday and truly everything does fall into place. It is biblical and it is a promise from God's Word.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33
And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. Luke 10:41-42
Blessings & Hugs,
🦋❤️🦋Mèmére🦋❤️🦋
