Seeking The Better Part

One thing that I hate more than anything else is “busy work”. I just can’t see any positive result from the activity…

Busywork is defined as: “work that usually appears productive or of intrinsic value but actually only keeps one occupied”. The operative phrase being the “appearance of productivity”

The same often happens in the Body of Christ…many saints manage to become so caught up in the work of the church that they neglect to focus on the Lord of the church.

There’s no question that working in the church is a huge task with many responsibilities and many ministries on-which to serve. But no amount of work or service should be more important than just basking in the presence of the Savior and hearing his words.

Luke 10:38-42 we find that Jesus stopped by the home of Martha and Mary. By all accounts they were both excited to have the King of Kings as a guest in their home. In her excitement, Martha concentrated on preparing refreshments for the master; however Mary just sat at the feet of Jesus listening to his every word. Martha was borderline furious by the lack of assistance coming from Mary.  Martha filed her complaint with Jesus concerning Mary, but to her chagrin Jesus sided with the one who chose to sit at his feet. Jesus would explain to Martha that what her sister had done was to choose the best part of his visit.

Please don’t misunderstand; the work of the church is very vital to both its congregation and community. But in order for the work to be effective, we must never neglect the Lord of the work.

Much is gained by spending time in the presence of the Lord.

1.  Mary sat at the feet of Jesus and heard his word:

-     Although Martha was well meaning in preparing natural food; however our spirit man is in need of nourishment also. The word of God is vital to our existence as believers in the Body of Christ. (Ref. Matthew 4:4, Hebrew 4:12)

2.  Mary’s desire was to simply be in the presence of the Lord:

-     We were created for the Lord’s good pleasure, this role is fulfilled by our desire to spend quality time with him through prayer, praise, and worship. This act of loyalty not only glorifies God, but also strengthens our walk with him, keeps us at peace while making us victorious.

(Ref. Nehemiah 8:10, Romans 15:13, Philippians 4:8 & 13

So remember, church work is important; but in the presence of the Lord is the better part.