*Okay, this is the cheesiest video ever!  Please bear with it to the end as you listen to this anointed song and receive what He has for you today!

“Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” 41 And Jesus  answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”  Luke 10:38-42

When the Ninja was pre-school aged I was overwhelmed with everything I needed to do to take care of him and also keep a house that was in order.  I was constantly torn with spending time with my baby and also giving much-needed attention to housework. So, I spent a lot of days feeling guilty, overwhelmed and unfulfilled.  Not to mention how it affected him when he didn’t have quality time!  Most days he just followed me around crying and wanting me to hold him which allowed me to get absolutely nothing done…blah!  I remember countless times crying out to the Lord for revelation and help as dishes piled, clothes mounted, kid screaming and feeling paralyzed to get any of it in order.

His solution came one need at a time.  First, I began to see that he needed one on one time just being with me in his world.  We would sing, talk, play games like “peek-a-boo” or just learn something new together.  This I called “face time“.  We did this every day, and I could see him responding to it, but still needing more.  Next, I saw that if I spent additional time with him on the floor his world would light up in a totally different way.  We would play with toys, crawl around, rough house and just be rowdy!  We called this “floor time“.  The changes I saw in his disposition once we were spending quality “face and floor” time together were remarkable!  I noticed after his need was met that he would play on his own, alongside me or even help me with such a happy heart!

I can really see this story parallel my walk with the Lord.  My relationships with people and my outlook on the world change after spending time with Jesus.  My FACE time just sitting with him, reading His Word, taking walks, talking about life and just listening to Him puts my life in perspective and brings me peace.  Then being with him on the FLOOR of life through work, working out, chores, errands and just doing the messy things that this life requires brings a whole other feeling of His abiding presence.  So much so that my “face and floor” time with Him has become seemless and never-ending.  I am reassured to know that He is always with me and that His love is constant.

The above passage shows that Martha did spend time with the Lord sitting at His feet, but this time she was “distracted with much serving” and  her attitude changed …I love His gentle instruction, “Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things, but ONE thing is needed…”  Was serving someone when they came to your home so bad?  What good part had Mary chosen that Martha had not?

I believe that Mary chose devotion and Martha chose distraction.  Devotion always trumps distraction. 

Having a Mary heart in a Martha world is having a devoted heart in a distracted world.

• Devotion is defined by dictionary.com as profound dedication; consecration, earnest attachment to.
• Distracted is defined by dictionary.com as to draw away from, divert, separate or divide, to disturb or trouble greatly.

Distracted as defined by me is taking your mind and heart off of Jesus and His perfect supply of everything you need for this life and putting your mind and heart on an inferior supply, demanding it to meet your needs.  Instead of looking to Jesus to feed her, Martha, felt a demand placed upon her, was distracted, and then attempted to bring Mary to her side. She took her eyes off of Jesus as her perfect supply and looked to herself and her sister as supplies.  In our relationship with Jesus let’s not get our roles reversed.  He did not need anything from Martha nor Mary when going to their home. And He needs nothing from us.  We see that Mary got that and I am sure Martha got it after that amazing encounter!!  Ask yourself if you get that?

All of this makes me think of another story involving a Samaritan woman in which Jesus said to her, “”If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” John 4:10

God is not a frustrated, imperfect parent.  He is longsuffering.  He does not weary by our need of Him.  Unlike us, He never looks at the world and thinks how much He could get done if He just didn’t have those screaming kids following Him demanding quality time!  He never needs a human strategy.  He doesn’t require His time with us to be broken into “face and floor” just to feel productive.  That is a human need (and I think a legitimate one for us)  not a God need.  God is energized by our need of Him!  He desires to supply you with anything this world demands of you.  You don’t have to entertain or perform for Him.  You just have to sit at His feet and hear Him.  When is the last time you did that?