Wednesday, June 2, 2010

The Morning Cup -- One Things Is Needful


If the question was asked, "What is the most needed thing in your life?" the responses would most likely be varied. In Luke 10:38-42, we read of an incident that occurred in the life of Christ, when He visited some of His dear friends in Bethany. The friends were Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. During the visit of Jesus, Martha was doing everything to make Jesus' visit enjoyable. But as Martha was busy, her sister Mary was sitting at Jesus' feet and hearing the things He taught. In a moment of frustration at her sister's apparent lack of concern, Martha asked Jesus to tell Mary to help her in the serving she was doing. Jesus responded, "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." I want to focus on the statement here that Jesus made, "One thing is needful."


In life there are so many things that demand our attention. It may even seem that these things are of great importance and they may be. As in Martha's case the serving of her company was important, but she failed to realize that something else was of even greater importance. It may be that even in our own daily affairs of life that things such as work, school, etc. cloud out what is truly the most important thing. Jesus made it clear to Martha what the proper priority should be. It was the very thing that Mary had chosen. It was that "good part" Mary chose that Jesus compared to the "many things" that troubled Martha. The "many things" in this passage refers to the temporal or physical things of this life and the "good part" deals with the heavenly or the eternal things which "shall not be taken away."


This is an important lesson for us to learn that while we must attend to physical things, let us not become preoccupied and lose sight of the one thing that is needful.


Mary in choosing the "good part" had not lost sight of her priorities. She was absorbed with the spiritual and eternal things of God. Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God." Mary understood this and was not sidetracked by the physical things around her.


Let's remember this great lesson that Mary teaches us and not neglect the things that will help us to build a spiritual and a close relationship with God. Let's read and study our Bibles, feeding on the word of God daily. Let us be faithful in our attendance with the saints on every occasion possible. Go regularly in prayer and communicate with our Father in heaven. Remember our close relationship with God is the key to our enjoying the abundant life now and the joys of heaven for eternity.


Mat we ever be aware that even though there are many good things that we may spend our time doing, we must put first the "one things that is needful" if we are going to form an abiding relationship with our heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Let us give strict attention to hearing and heeding what the scriptures teach which will help us to grow in our relationship with Him.


MR

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