One Thing Is Needful

The last couple of weeks there is a story from the Bible that has been coming up for me A LOT. We are talking like coming to memory, randomly people started talking about it in a conversation we were having, and then I was coaching a client and it got brought up again. I don’t think this is any random coincidence but definitely something I needed to be mindful of, study out, and share with others with the hopes that it might help you like it did me.

The story of Mary and Martha. Two sisters that were doing their best. In Luke chapter 10 it says that Martha received Jesus into her house. While He was there, it says, Martha was “cumbered about much serving” while Mary, her sister, “sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.” I looked up the word cumbered and it means to be over-occupied with cares or business, distracted. How many of us can relate? How many of us are distracted by social media, the world we live in, our own thoughts, comparison, etc? Martha sees her sister sitting while she is working around the house and says to Jesus, “Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.” The Savior, with all His love, replies to Martha, “Martha, Martha, thou are careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part.” One thing is needful and Mary hath chosen that good part. What is the one thing that is needful? I have two ideas I want to share.

So this story first came to my mind in the midst of a chaotic day. It was a day of screaming, fighting, and yelling. A little between my three girls and a lot between me and my girls. It was one of those days as a mom where I felt like everything I wanted to do or would try to do, there they were. And not quietly….. there they were obnoxiously loud. I would go into the other room and try to talk to someone on the phone, there they would go. I would hide in the bathroom for peace and quiet, there they would go. I wanted to have my entire Diet Coke all to myself, there they were. It was the end of the none stop there-they-weres and I had had it. I lost my temper, got mad at them, put them in time out, and went to do the dishes. Boom! The story of Mary and Martha came to my mind and plainly I could see the words, Savanah, Savanah, thou are careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part. I had spent the day being Martha. I was over-occupied and distracted by my phone, my own needs, and my wants. It wasn’t like I was distracted by these awful things, but they definitely weren’t the best things. It was such a good reminder to me that my kids are the good part. When I get annoyed with all the chaos it’s only because I am turning inward and letting myself get distracted on the things that don’t really matter.

The last story I want to share is one where I was coaching one of my cute clients. We were talking about the struggle that a lot of us have, putting our worth into the to-do lists and the things we do. This is something I also find myself doing a lot. I love a good to-do list. I love checking off all the things and then at the end of the day I either give myself the badge of worth if I do all the things or I beat myself for not doing enough. I was coaching her through all the thoughts she was having around being enough and doing enough. Boom! The story of Mary and Martha came to my mind. This time in a different light. Mary chose the “better part” and what was she doing? She was sitting and listening. That was more important to the Savior than the to-do list that was preoccupying Martha. I relate to Martha so much in the sense that I am a person who go go goes. I catch myself placing a lot of my worth on all the things I do during a day or all the things I accomplish. Until this coaching session with my client, I hadn’t never really looked at what Mary was doing, sitting and listening, as the better part. Sometimes I look at sitting and listening as not doing enough. Why would I sit and be still while I could hustle for my worth by staying busy? I love this lesson from Mary and from the Savior. Sometimes all we need to do is SIT and LISTEN. My brain, by default, loves to tell me that sitting is not needful. In this story of Mary and Martha, I am taught that it is. That is needful for all of us in the midst of a world where we pride ourselves in not sitting and not always listening.

As you go about your week, I want to invite you to think about these two sisters. Both were absolutely doing their best. I don’t think Martha was in the wrong for being distracted with all the things. I look at her example is being human. I relate to that and take a lot of hope in that fact that the Savior didn’t shame or belittle her. He recognized where she currently was and simply reminded her what was more important. That is going to look different to all of us. What is the one needful thing the Savior wants you to focus on? Turn to Him and choose that good part! You got this my friend!

XOXO

Sav