Is it just me or do you lay in bed at night and make a mental list of all the things you need to get done in the house?

The dishes need to be put away, the laundry basket is full, the floors need to be vacuumed and mopped and what about dinner? Oh yes, we need to go to the grocery store again.

Our chores never seem to go away for some reason, nor does the dust in our house. (I wonder if we are dirt magnets sometimes).

Most days are full of cleaning, cooking and planning what to cook. We rush from one task to the other, dreaming of a product that may help us make our life a little better. Surely our life is more than household chores! My husband keeps suggesting we should get the robot butler but I can’t imagine living in Astro Boy’s world just yet!

Jokes aside, I’ve been thinking of Martha and how she was trying to get everything together while Mary was ‘just sitting’.

I relate to Martha. I have complained to Jesus many times when I see my husband ‘just sitting’. I know a lot of wives can relate to this but Jesus never really commended Martha for her ‘serving and busyness’. This is what Jesus said instead.

“She had a sister named Mary, who seated herself at the Lord’s feet and was continually listening to His teaching. But Martha was very busy and distracted with all of her serving responsibilities; and she approached Him and said, “Lord, is it of no concern to You that my sister has left me to do the serving alone? Tell her to help me and do her part.” But the Lord replied to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered and anxious about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part [that which is to her advantage], which will not be taken away from her.””

Luke 10:39-42 AMP

Jesus commends Mary in front of everyone and tells Martha that only one thing is necessary and her sister has made the better choice. The choice to sit at Jesus feet.

Poor Martha must have been trying so hard and to hear this must have not been easy. I understand this so deeply. Everyday I’m faced with a choice when my baby is sleeping, sit at Jesus’ feet or do all the chores.

It is ever so tempting to decide to do the chores before we sit quietly in God’s presence. But only one thing is really necessary.

We don’t need to carry the weight of the world or in this case, the weight of our house. Our strength will never be enough but God’s strength will always be there and will carry us on long days when the chores pile up.

When we sit with God’s word before we start with our to-do list, we get fresh strength for everything we need to do for the day. No striving to get through the day.

It’s not an easy thing to do as our schedules are always packed but let’s intentionally practice taking time to read God’s word and spend time in prayer as much as it is possible.

Remember, only one thing is necessary or important and it is not our chores!