‍“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed — or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”  Luke 10:41-42 NIV

I love having people over to our house whether it is simply another couple for a game night or 40 extended family members for a holiday dinner.  The inner planner in me comes out.  Days or even weeks ahead of time I begin making lists – menu, things to buy, things to prepare and things to do.  My children now cringe when mommy brings out the giant white board on a Saturday morning.  They know momma has a plan, not only for her day, but theirs as well. 

However, my job as hostess is not finished when all the tasks are checked off the board.  When the guests arrive I kick it into overdrive making certain everything is in place and they feel comfortable in our home.  I am generally the last one through the food line and the first to begin cleaning up the food and the dishes.  Before I know it, the guests are saying their good-byes and heading out the door.  Ah, another successful event or was it?

My guests felt comfortable in my home, but they didn’t get to spend any quality time with me because I was too busy buzzing around focusing on the details and missing out on what is truly important – relationships.

This is exactly what happened with Martha in Luke 10:38-42.  She was focused solely on the preparations and was missing out on time with Jesus.

You and I need to be intentional with our daily time with God.  It is so easy to become caught up in the day-to-day and to-dos lists that we lose sight of what is most important – our relationship with God.  Like any relationship, you must spend quality time together for it to grow.

Make time for God even if you have to schedule it.  Cultivating this relationship needs to be a priority.  Make the choice today.

Dear heavenly Father, I come to You today with a heavy heart and a load too much for me to bear.  I lay my to-do list at Your feet.  I know that my relationship with You is what needs to be first in my life and everything else will fall into place.  Help me to daily remember to turn to You and Your Word instead of running to my schedule and lists.  Teach me to discern the difference between what is necessary and what I can let go of.  I lean on You and trust You to guide my steps as I long to draw closer to You.  In Your Precious Name, Amen.