Bolder FaithSample

BOLDLY PURSUE ONE THING

My father was a man of few words. He was an eloquent speaker when he gave messages behind the pulpit and a constant encourager to the members of his church. But I knew that since Dad was a man of action rather than words, it was that much more important to take in the lessons he taught me. One, which I’d heard from childhood, was, “Baby, stay at the feet of Jesus.”

This counsel comes from the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10. Jesus had arrived in Bethany, and Martha invited Him and His twelve disciples into her home. As the one managing this household, Martha wanted everything to be perfect. Jesus wasn’t just any ordinary houseguest; He was the Son of God! So she did what she thought she needed to do: worked hard to host a special meal for their guests.

Martha’s sister, Mary, chose to do something different. She sat before Jesus to listen to His teachings. This upset Martha, so she went to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me” (Luke 10:40).

I can picture Jesus smiling at Martha when He replied, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41–42).

I believe that often we open the door and invite Jesus in to be a part of our lives, but when He shows up, we don’t take the opportunity to sit at His feet. Instead, we feel as though we have to keep working and moving and acting. I know my purpose and I gotta move toward it, we tell ourselves. But then we act without hearing from God and knowing what He wants from us.

Before we move toward our purpose, we need to sit before Jesus to hear from Him. We need to kneel at His feet and worship Him. We need to fix our eyes upon Him first and foremost (Hebrews 12:2), and then worry about everything else afterward.

Heavenly Father, thank You for inviting me to come before You. Forgive me for the times I rush ahead before sitting at Your feet. In Your name, amen.