The One Thing
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary.”
Has there ever been a time in your life where you feel you could insert your name in that sentence? Or maybe you feel that you can right now as you read this.
Are you anxious and troubled about many things? School? Grades? A busy schedule? Trying to juggle being a good friend, sister, daughter, mother, mentor, etc? Or perhaps getting anxious as this season gets busier and busier? Something didn’t go the way you thought it would? Unmet high expectations?
Let me give you some encouragement. These are actually the very words of Jesus as He came to visit Mary and Martha. And the words He shared with them are the words He’s sharing with us. And it is something that God has used to radically change my life. And I pray it does the same for you <3
I want us to pause and open our Bibles to Luke 10:38-42.
Once you’re there, I want you to read along with me. What I am about to share with you is something God used to radically change my life. And it comes straight from His Word.
“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to stop then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:38-42
Wow. Is this not moving? Can you immediately insert yourself into this story? I know I can!
Here we have Jesus Christ—God in the flesh—in Martha’s house. In Martha’s mind, she wants to serve him well. (Understandable, right?) And don’t you know Martha truly means well? She wants everything to be so perfect for Jesus. She probably wants the food to be perfect. A clean house. A house prepared to host. And I imagine she was going ninety-to-nothing.
In the midst of it all, Martha became incredibly distracted. And with all of the things piled up on each other, she began to be anxious about many things. This was because she was missing one thing….the main thing. Enjoying being with the one she was hosting. Sitting at his feet. Listening to him. Learning from him. She thought that the “things” she could do for him was the key when really, she didn’t have to do a thing but sit at his feet.
Now let’s talk about Mary. Mary knew all that needed to be done I imagine. My guess would be that Martha probably gave her a list of all the things they needed to check off and all Mary needed to do to help serve Jesus.
But when Jesus entered the room, immediately in Mary’s heart and mind, nothing else mattered. Everything else stopped in her life. She knew who was in her midst. And she just wanted to sit at His feet and enjoy His presence. There’s something so powerful about that last line—“ Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
This moves me every time I read it. The GOOD portion. The one thing necessary. And it won’t be taken away.
Can you relate to this story? If so, do you identify more with Mary or with Martha? This story is so, so timely for us today in the society we are living in sisters.
For me, part of my testimony is that I was a Martha at one point in my life. Honestly it was for a few years! My lifestyle was insanely busy and it was go, go, go non-stop. To say I was distracted was an understatement. And to say I was anxious is an understatement. And it’s because I was trying to take control of things and carry the weight of all that I was juggling and I was never meant to.
The life that society throws at us and tempts us to adopt and adapt to is not sustainable. And that is why anxiety is rampant in this world. It’s why so many are crippled by it. I myself felt crippled by it. But praise God He drew me out of the pit and set me on higher ground. He spoke the better word over me and that’s why I’m sharing my heart in this text today because if you are reading this and you feel that you’ve been a Martha too—anxious or distracted or troubled by many things, there is hope! And there is an answer. And His name is Jesus
Let me tell you sisters, anxiety is NOT your portion! Your portion is peace and joy. And it is found in Jesus. He IS our peace. He IS our joy. He healed me and He will heal you too!
My life was radically changed when I entered into His rest and began to walk at His pace. I haven’t been the same and I’ll never be the same.
I was Martha. Distracted by many things. Anxious about many things. Busy doing all of the things. And it’s not that these things were “bad” things! But they were distracting. Martha surely wasn’t doing anything “bad”—but she was so busy doing so many things that she was distracted from the main thing—the good portion—sitting at the feet of Jesus and resting in His presence. And that was my story too.
In most beautiful, gentle, loving way, God told me to just be with Him. To be still and know that He is God. To cease striving. To sit at His feet. And doing that enabled me to step into the fullness of joy. A joy that’s unshakeable and a joy that cannot be taken from me.
The joy doesn’t come from everything in my surroundings becoming perfect. Things won’t be perfect until Jesus comes back one day and makes all things new.
The joy comes from knowing I belong to my perfect Heavenly Father who has already won. Who loves me. Who is pleased with me. Who calls me His own. Who sent His only Son to die for me. Who reigns victorious over all. Who has gone before me. Who chose me before the world began. Who wrote a story for me before I was even born. And I choose every single day to rest in the shadow of the Almighty and I live for an audience of One.
And sisters, this truth applies to you too. You can step into the fullness of joy that only Jesus offers and enter into His rest. You can reclaim your peace!
We’re not called to be a Martha. We’re not called to do all of the things. We’re robbed of our peace when we begin to do that.
Let me give you some good reminders that I pray will ease your mind in some way, shape or form
- It’s ok if you go to sleep with dirty dishes.
- It’s ok if you didn’t get all the laundry folded.
- It’s ok if you didn’t do so well on that test.
- It’s ok if you’re single.
- It’s ok that guy broke up with you—God has someone better!
- It’s ok if you were accidentally late for class.
- It’s ok that you don’t have as many followers as she does.
- It’s ok if you don’t dress like she does.
- It’s ok if you didn’t get your workout in.
- It’s ok that you don’t have that job just yet.
- It’s ok.
Do you know why it’s ok? Because Jesus isn’t asking us to hit every mark of society.
He’s asking us to abide in Him. To trust Him. To rest in Him. To be totally found in His unconditional love. To love Him with all that we are. To sit at His feet.
And when we abide in Him, we will bear much fruit. The fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. And this is what brings a fulfilled life. An empowered life—empowered by God’s Holy Spirit. And when He is living in you, know that that is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. Therefore sisters—you can overcome whatever may come your way! Not because of your own strength, but through the strength of the One living inside of you.
And sisters, the truth is that we wouldn’t have any of this if it weren’t for Jesus coming to the earth as a baby—God in flesh. Immanuel. God with us. And as we are in the middle of this Christmas season, I pray each and every one of us keep the main thing, the main thing. You’re going to be tempted to be a Martha. To feel stressed you haven’t gotten all of your Christmas shopping done, or maybe the house isn’t clean for the guests, or maybe your mind is cluttered from all you have to do.
Let me encourage you to stop, pause, and breathe in the peace of God. Don’t let society’s portrayal of Christmas cloud out the true meaning of what Christmas is. The miracle of God coming to earth through Jesus—as He provided eternal hope for us and enabled us to be made right with God.
Sit at the feet of Jesus. Keep your eyes fixed on Him.
Whether it’s something involving the Christmas season or something else going on in your life, I want to leave you with some truths.
Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Be reminded of Philippians 4:6-7. It says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
When we lay all that we are anxious about down at the feet of Jesus, something incredible happens. His peace—the peace of God—that surpasses ALL understanding, guards our hearts and mind in Christ Jesus.
Sisters. This peace is yours. Claim it today and forevermore.
Peace isn’t found in the absence of trouble. It’s found in the presence of Jesus.
So sisters, let’s be a Mary and just sit at His feet. Let’s choose the good portion. The one thing that won’t be taken from us.
–Your sister,
Anne Elizabeth
Anne Elizabeth Buys is from Vicksburg, MS and has a deep passion for sharing the love of Jesus, for her family, and continually being a student of God’s Word. In 2017, she served her state as Miss MS and it was during that year she felt the call of ministry on her life. She began to write daily devotionals and share the gospel any and every way she could, with a deep passion to speak life into young women’s identity. She also began serving in her church on the worship team and leading in the youth group. She attended Mississippi State and graduated with a degree in broadcasting and worked in the corporate world for a few years, but in 2023, she felt the Lord calling her to jump into ministry full time. She answered that call and now works full time as the Director of Ministries at Triumph Church of Vicksburg and embraces every opportunity to serve the Kingdom.
Follow along on social media @anneelizabethbuys.
