One Thing is Needful

Worship doesn't just happen... you have to fight for it sometimes.

The last few months have been full months. Good months, but full of work, travel, friendships... going in and out of multiple little worlds of my existence. And sometimes in all of it I forget the heart of worship, of Soli Deo, of simply enjoying Jesus...the sweetness of surrender, the freedom that comes from repentance, the joy of walking in His Spirit moment by moment. I catch myself going through the motions of prayer, Bible reading, church... but somehow God seems distant.

I try to seek God, but I find myself distracted by many things. I have a mental list of things I would like to hear from God, a list of things I want to talk with Him about, problems that I would like Him to solve. I desperately want the fruit of the Spirit in my life - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control, and yet I know that it is lacking on so many levels. I'm frustrated with myself for not being a better Christian, for being so sinful and prideful. Deja vou. I've been here before. That feeling of hopelessness, like what I can do is never enough. I hate that feeling, but I can't shake it.

I am like Martha, trying to do all the right things to hold things together, meet the expectations of myself and others, and serve Jesus. Trying to be responsible, and yet feeling frazzled in the process. Instead of being content simply to be in relationship with Jesus, I fall into self-pity and a complaining spirit. An anxious spirit replaces the trusting one, and like Martha I wonder why Jesus isn't getting more people to help me do "His work." Suddenly, it has become all about me and what I want from God instead of all about HIM.

And then I hear Jesus' kind rebuke, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." (see Luke 10:38-42)

Mary chose worship. She made a conscious choice to spend time with Jesus. Joseph S. Carroll observes in his book How to Worship Jesus Christ, "You can never drift into being a Mary. You can always drift into being a Martha. All you have to do is just let yourself go. No woman ever drifted into being a Mary." (27)

So, how do we do that? How do we be Marys? How can I maintain a life entirely focused around Jesus Christ, with everything else coming in as a distant second? To know Christ, to dwell in the presence of the Most High God - this one thing I desire!

"...One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.
...My heart says to you, 'Seek his face!' Your face, LORD, I will seek.
...Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." ~ King David, Psalm 27

God longs for our worship. Jesus told the woman at the well that God was seeking those who would worship Him in Spirit and in truth. Intimate fellowship with our God - we were made for this, we were made to worship. How do we live a lives centered around Jesus, lives of worship? What does that look like? If one thing is needful, and we miss that one thing... then what are we doing?

God, teach me to worship You in Spirit and in Truth. Thank you for creating me to worship and for making this possible through the sacrifice of Jesus! Thank you for your grace and patience with me, for your redeeming love. I love you. Oh, for grace to love You more!