Choosing the Better Thing

Lately, I’ve been feeling a lot like Martha. You know - the one in Luke 10 who was busy, anxious, and distracted by everything that needed to be done, while her sister Mary simply sat at Jesus’ feet and listened.

If I’m being honest, I relate to Martha a little too much. My mind is always spinning with what’s next - bills to pay, messages to respond to, Redeemed updates to plan, emails to send, and all the everyday responsibilities that pile up faster than I can manage. I convince myself I’m just being productive or responsible, but deep down, I know I’m avoiding stillness.

Because stillness forces me to slow down.

Stillness reminds me I’m not in control.

Stillness exposes how much I’ve neglected the one thing my soul truly needs - time with Jesus.

And lately, I can feel it.

I miss Him.

I miss that quiet space where I used to sit with my Bible and coffee, where His presence would wash over me and bring peace to my restless heart. I miss hearing His voice in the stillness - the gentle whisper that reminded me who I am and whose I am.

Without that time, I’ve felt disconnected and weary. The peace I used to carry feels harder to find. The joy that once came naturally feels a little dimmer. My heart knows exactly what’s missing - it’s Him.

Mary chose the better thing - and Jesus said it wouldn’t be taken from her. That verse always hits me because it’s a reminder that the world can take our time, our energy, our plans - but it can’t take His presence unless we give it away.

I don’t want to live a life that’s always doing but rarely being.

I don’t want to run on empty, trying to make everything happen, while missing the peace that comes from sitting at His feet.

I don’t want to be so busy talking about Jesus that I forget to actually be with Him.

So today, I’m making a choice.

To pause.

To breathe.

To come back to His feet again.

Because nothing else - not productivity, not progress, not even “good” goals - will ever compare to being in His presence.

I want to be a Mary in a Martha world.

And I want to keep choosing the better thing - Jesus - every single day.

Lord Jesus,

You know how my mind races - how I try to manage it all, hold it all, fix it all. But the truth is, I can’t. Not without You.

I miss You.

I miss the quiet mornings when Your peace filled the room. I miss feeling close to You, hearing Your voice in the stillness, sensing Your presence in my heart. Somewhere along the way, I got distracted - and now I feel the ache of that distance.

Forgive me, Lord, for letting the busyness of life crowd out what matters most.

Forgive me for trying to carry what was never mine to hold.

Draw me back to You.

Teach me to rest again at Your feet - to find peace not in checking things off my list, but in simply being with You.

You are the One my soul longs for.

Help me to slow down, to breathe, and to make room for You again.

I don’t want to miss You, Lord.

Help me come back.

Amen.

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed - or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

~ Luke 10:41–42 (NIV)

• Have I been more focused on what needs to get done than on simply being with Jesus?

• What areas of my life feel weary or empty - and how might that be an invitation to return to His presence?

• What does “choosing the better thing” look like for me in this season?

Jesus, quiet the noise in my heart.

Pull me close again.

Help me to slow down long enough to feel Your peace, hear Your voice, and choose You above all else.

Amen.