WHAT IS BETTER – 03/27/19

WHAT IS BETTER
March 27, 2019

Prayer:   I pray Lord that we would choose what is better.

Scripture:  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-or indeed only one.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38- 42 NIV

We moved to Georgia late in the summer of 2013. As I sat in church on the Sunday before school began, I was thrilled to hear the Pastor preach on the design, outline, and necessity of prayer. I was even more excited when he asked one of his members to join him on stage to talk about her prayer life. He “interviewed” her about how she had learned to pray, talked about how prayer had just been some recited lines during her childhood and non-existent in her early adulthood. One day, a Christian friend took her by the hands and asked if they could pray together about a certain circumstance in her life. As they prayed, this lady began to long for the intimacy and affection that her friend had with God. She told us how she thought, “I wish I could pray like that.” Afterwards she asked her friend if she would teach her to pray, and she has had a powerful prayer time, including 23 years of journaling her prayers, ever since.

As if all of this was not enough to press a permanent smile on my face; my heart almost jumped out of my chest when the Pastor shared with the congregation that she was an eighth grade teacher! Then the Pastor said, “What better teacher could you ask for than a praying one!” Then the entire congregation applauded and there were even some shouts of, “AMEN!”

I want you to know that as a praying educator, you are deeply valued by God and your brothers and sisters in Christ. The Pastor did not give her resume; he did not list her awards, accomplishments or academic level. He simply repeated the sentiment Jesus expressed to busy Martha about her sister Mary who had chosen to sit at His feet rather than work in the kitchen in Luke 10, “Only one thing is needed,” the New American Standard translates it, “necessary,” and, “She has chosen what is better.”

I completely understand that there are dozens of responsibilities, meetings, and people demanding some of your time, the only way to have a prayer life or even a consistent prayer time is to guard that time. I pray no man or meeting can detain or distract you from your time with Him.

Copyright Kathy Branzell.  Email [email protected]