Only One Thing - Mercy Ofuya
“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “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: 38-42
Starting a typical day, school term or the summer holiday comes with a list of things we need to get through. Whether we use a to-do list or not, we keep checking off a list either by hand or in our minds. Now, what if we only had to focus on one thing? What if you only had to do one thing today? You can choose the one thing but just one thing… what would it be?
As we identify it, unconsciously our muscles relax, the silent ‘sigh of relief’. Depending on whether the task is challenging or relaxing, there’s the invisible sleeve roll and growing sense of inner calm as our mind’s focus becomes heightened.
When Jesus visits the home of two sisters, Mary, and Martha, along with his disciples, Martha gets busy trying to make Jesus comfortable. I would have done the same - its classic hospitality and a global tradition. After all, the lunch/platter of refreshments isn’t going to prepare or serve itself.
Nonetheless, when Martha complains about Mary not helping her, Jesus replies to her by saying,
“Martha, 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, 2011).
Mary was focused on only one thing, the desire to listen and learn from Jesus, and to commune with Him. Jesus didn’t say that Martha’s service was wrong, rather the core of His response was on the anxiety and focus on external things and activities which distracts us from what really matters most in our lives as Christians.
Amid our busy lives and the humdrum of everyday, we must make time for the most important thing, the only thing we really need – our relationship with God through personal fellowship with Him, in prayer and Bible study. Through the decades, knowing this has centred me and through life’s highs and lows, achievements, and losses, only one thing has really mattered - knowing that God loves me and having a relationship with Him.
He constantly reminds us through His word not to worry (Matt. 6: 25-33, Phil. 4:6), and to focus on Him alone, not on people, things, or circumstances, for He is all we need.
“One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in His temple” Psalm 27:4 (NIV, 2011).
“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God” Psalm 42:1 (NIV, 2011).
