Distracted By Acts of Service

But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.  She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?  Tell her to help me!"  Luke 10:40

In Luke 10:38-42, we read the account of two women and the choices they made when Jesus visited their home.  Martha chose to be busy with her acts of service and Mary chose to sit at the feet of Jesus.  She desired to listen to the Living Word.  Scripture tells us that Martha was distracted.  She allowed her busyness (acts of service) to take away from precious time she could be spending with Jesus, the Messiah.  She wasn't doing anything bad, but she had allowed other things to take priority over spending time in the presence of her LORD.  Prayerfully search your heart. Have you become as Martha and allowed your acts of service to take priority over spending intimate time in God’s presence?

When you and I become distracted by our acts of service, we will miss divine moments with our Savior and LORD.  He desires an intimate, personal relationship before all else.  God has things He desires to reveal to us when we spend time in His presence.  The busyness of our acts of service can drown out the voice of our LORD if we are not careful to place our time with Him as a priority in our lives.  Our acts of service must have the anointing of our LORD, and without spending time in His presence, we will not have the anointing and the strength which Almighty God provides for His children. 

Examine your life today.  What are your priorities?  What Martha was doing wasn't bad, but it wasn't what was best.  Jesus told Martha, "Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her" - Luke 10:42.  Nothing or no one can take away what Almighty God provides you during the intimate time you spend in His presence.  Lamentations 3:25 - The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.  As you spend time in the presence of your Savior and LORD, you begin to grow in your faith walk.  The fruit of the spirit becomes evident in your life.  This enables us to carry out our acts of service in a worshipful manner that will bring honor and glory to our Savior and LORD. 

We demonstrate our love and devotion for our LORD by spending time in His presence.  Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength - Deuteronomy 6:5.  Spending time in God's presence, reading His Word and praying, provides us with a peace that is unexplainable.  Spending time in the presence of Almighty God will increase our faith and provide us with joy.  We will never come to a place in our faith walk where we will regret the time we spend with our LORD. 

I encourage you today - do not choose just what is good.  Choose what is best.  First spend time in the presence of your Savior and LORD and then allow everything else to flow from your intimate, personal relationship with Him.  Make sure your relationship with your Heavenly Father takes precedence over your acts of service. 

Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that our personal time in Your presence will be a priority in our lives.  Help us LORD to choose what is best.  Anoint us to live a life that brings You honor, glory, and praise.  In Jesus Name I pray.....Amen.