The One Essential Thing

“But Martha was distracted with much serving…But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” – Luke 10:38-42

In our efforts to honor God, we can easily fall into the trap of busyness—trying to do more, impress more, and serve more—while missing the most important thing. Like Martha, we may welcome Jesus into our homes, yet forget to welcome Him into our hearts by simply being present with Him.

Mary chose differently. She sat at Jesus’ feet, fully attentive, soaking in every word He spoke. She was not distracted by what needed to be done—she recognized that being with Jesus mattered more than doing for Jesus. Her posture reminds us of what truly counts: not performance, but presence.

We must regularly pause and ask ourselves: Have we chosen the one thing that truly matters? Are we sitting quietly at His feet, or are we pulled in a dozen directions, mistaking motion for meaning?

As the days grow shorter and life becomes more demanding, we must become more intentional. Every word from Jesus matters. He is not just our Savior—He is our Teacher, our Model, and our Friend. If we don’t listen, we won’t know what to do—or we’ll do the right thing in the wrong way. Listening to Him brings clarity, alignment, and the power to serve with true purpose.

Yes, we all love Jesus. Yes, we all want to serve Him. And no, one form of service is not necessarily better than another. But without stillness and intimacy, our service can subtly shift into self-service. We can become more focused on doing for Him than being with Him.

Thoughtful Reflection

Let us not allow our service to become sanctified busywork. Let it be an overflow of our love, shaped by time in His presence. Jesus is still speaking. Are we listening?