“…the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.” Mark 4:19 (NLT)
Owning nice things and having a high level of success can be a good thing. We don’t have to allow them to hold our calendars or our wallets in their clutches. We don’t have to let them steal our joy and consume our thinking.
In Luke 10:38-42, Jesus had lunch at Mary and Martha’s house. Mary took the time to sit at Jesus’ feet—she had learned when to disconnect from her ‘to do’ list. Martha, however, was “overly occupied and too busy” with making lunch.
Although Jesus Himself was sitting in her house, she was distracted by what she ‘needed’ to do. She didn’t pause to spend time with Him. Instead she was critical of Mary and tried to tell Jesus to scold her for not helping out. But Jesus’ reaction showed His priority: relationship. It wasn’t about the perfect lunch or spotless house.
How does the way you spend your time reflect what you truly value in life?
Mark 4:19 talks about how cares, anxieties and distractions can choke and suffocate God’s voice in our life. The stress of always needing more causes life to become busy. Voices push at us to do, do, do. We need to know when to put aside our ‘to do’ lists to focus in on what’s important.
What can you drop so you have more time for the things you really value?