The Most Important Thing…

I am just sitting here tonight in a finally quiet house. The children are all finally asleep and I feel like I can finally breathe again. I’ll be honest, lately I’ve just been surviving. I forgot just how hard it is to care for an infant! The constant demands make you feel so drained, not counting the demands of my other two children. Most days I feel like I need more of me! Everyone needs something from me and I just feel depleted! Anyone else feel that way? You don’t have to be a mom to feel that way. All of our lives these days are so hectic and we all have so many things pulling at us and needing us…it’s hard to keep up! It’s hard to take those moments we so desperately need with our Savior! So we end up talking ourselves out of taking time to just sit and be with Jesus.

Last week, I had one of those moments where I felt the pull of my Spirit so desperately wanting to be with Jesus, and my flesh honestly didn’t want to participate. I found myself thinking, “I just want to sit and enjoy the quiet. I just want to sit and not have anyone else need me for anything. I don’t have the energy to give anything else to anyone else…even God” And that’s when I clearly heard the Lord speak to me and He said, “no, Haley. You’re thinking about it all wrong. You see, when you come sit with me; when you take the time to come into my presence, I promise you, you get so much more than you ever give!” As I sat there and pondered on that truth, I began to really see just how true it was! I thought about how every time I sit in the presence of God, I come out feeling stronger and filled up…not depleted and drained! I feel like I can once again give out and pour into others. God always gives me more than I ever give to Him. He always speaks to me either through His Word, a song, or by speaking directly to my heart! He never fails to do it, if I get quiet long enough to hear from Him.

This truth makes me think of the story of Mary and Martha. I believe we all know this story well. Jesus came to visit and Martha was working so hard to make everything perfect for Him. She was working her fingers to the bone and Mary was no help! This made Martha mad! And hey, I get it! No one likes being the only one who does all the work! I am the same way in my home. It makes me mad when no one pitches in to help with the cleaning and laundry because, hello! I am not the only one dirtying up the dishes and clothes…so why am I the only one fighting the never ending cleaning battle? So, I definitely get Martha’s frustration. I understand why she asked Jesus to tell Mary to help her! But then when you read Jesus’ answer, it makes you think long and hard about what’s really important. “The Lord answered her, ‘Martha, my beloved Martha. Why are you upset and troubled, pulled away by all these many distractions? Are they really that important? Mary has discovered the one thing most important by choosing to sit at my feet. She is undistracted, and I won’t take this privilege from her.'” (Luke 10:41-42 TPT)

Jesus wasn’t mad at Martha, was He? He understood she was frustrated, but He wanted her to understand that sitting and learning from Him really was the most important thing at that moment. He wanted her to join her sister and sit at His feet absorbing all that He wanted to pour into them…and He wants us to do the same! His presence is our source of fulfillment. His Word is what gives us direction when we are lost. His presence shouldn’t be the first thing we cross off our list when we see that it’s too long. I know it’s so easy to make excuses and feel justified for cutting it out. I’ve done it too many times to count…but when I do cut out time with Jesus, I have found that I am not who I want to be that day. I don’t have the patience with my children that I need to have. I am not the wife God has called me to be. I am not usually a very bright light pointing others to Jesus. The truth is, we can’t be like someone if we never spend time with them.

I heard on the radio the other day that we touch our phones over 150 times a day. 150 times a day, y’all! That’s mind blowing! Not only mind blowing, but so convicting! I mean, did I touch my kids or spouse 150 times in one day? Did I spend 150 minutes giving them my sole attention? Did I spend even half that time with them? Did I spend that much time with Jesus? Such a convicting thing to consider! My phone does not serve a Kingdom purpose. My Kingdom purpose is to be the best child of God, wife, mom, and teacher that I can be. I know that’s my purpose in this season of my life because that the place God has me right now. Am I doing the most important thing when I am scrolling through social media laughing at meme’s or watching crazy videos? No, if I am honest, I am not.

Now, are those things wrong? No, not necessarily. It only becomes wrong when it consumes huge gaps of our day. So, I guess my question is: what is most important to you? I truly want it to be said of me that Jesus was the most important to me. My family was most important. People were most important…and the only way that can happen is if I am aware of how I am spending my time. Am I letting tons of distractions “pull me away” from what’s most important? It can be so hard to look inward sometimes and to do a heart check…but when we do, that’s when God can show us and teach us and grow us! We can’t change things in our lives…or shift our priorities if we never realize those things are wrong. The first step in change is realizing our need for change! I am not writing this to beat us up, I am writing this so that we can wake up! Let’s ask God today to help us make Him the most important! When He truly becomes most important in our lives, then all other things will follow because when He is most important in our life, that’s when He can change us!