“MARY HAS CHOSEN WHAT IS BETTER, AND IT WILL NOT BE TAKEN AWAY FROM HER.” —LUKE 10:42, NIV
If you’re an adult who’s “arrived,” you’re loaded down with responsibilities. If you’re young and still trying to figure out what to do with your life, the myriad of options is confusing. The answer is in Jesus’ words: “One thing is needed.”
Jesus had a friend who seemed confused about what she should do with her time.
“One thing is needed,” He said to Martha one day. She was troubled, trying to juggle her household responsibilities with being a good hostess while her sister, Mary, sat at His feet, appearing far too relaxed. Martha was mad.
Imagine her surprise when she complained to Jesus and He took Mary’s side! “She has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” “Well, that’s just great,” you might think. “I wish I had all day to sit at Jesus’ feet. But in the meantime, who runs my business or my household?
Who feeds the dog, mows the lawn, drives the kids, and pays the bills? I know what my purpose in life is. It’s to get everything done!”
As I grow older, I’ve learned that I can’t do everything. I have been fortunate enough to fulfill many of my hopes and dreams, but I’ve also had to pass on a few. I know what God put a passion in my heart to do, and by responding to that passion, I’m discovering that ultimately my deepest desires are being fulfilled.
I will never play professional sports (one of my childhood dreams), but my desire to throw myself into something I believe in, with all the same dedication and zeal, and support my family has been satisfied through a full-time ministry. I may never live out on a mission field in an exotic, foreign land, but my love for God’s Word and my desire to teach are completely fulfilled every time I step up to a pulpit.
Being confused creates stress. The Bible reminds us that a “double-minded man [is] unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8). It’s stressful to be uncertain about what to do with your life. When you take the time to sit at the Lord’s feet, your purpose will become more evident. A purpose frees you up to be more creative, more adventurous, and more passionate about what you do because you know where you’re going and whom you’re following.
