Who'll Wash The Dishes?

There are often arguments in a home over who will set the table, or wash the dishes... Often the excuse is made "I'm busy" - but does that excuse not giving help when a busy mum needs it? It's easy to be selfish.

Martha, in the verse above, obviously thought her sister Mary was being selfish and she even brought Jesus into her criticism as if she was accusing Jesus of encouraging selfishness. But Jesus had a different 'take' on the situation. Food was important, but "man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." (Deuteronomy 8:3) Jesus knew he was not to be present in their community for long. His days on earth were limited and his teaching was "from the mouth of God." Mary had her priorities right.

We too can easily get our priorities wrong. Our lives may be busy with many things — things that may be good and that we might think necessary. But they should never come between us and the Lord; they should never make us so busy that we have no time for prayer, or our Bible reading and study.
We may very well have to think how we can re-arrange our timetables in order to give Jesus and his word their proper place in our lives.

Prayer

Dear Lord, help me to put first things first and you first of all. Amen.