Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith... Hebrews 10:22

Is there any famous person that you would really like to meet and talk to? Personally I would like to talk to The Queen as I think it would be so interesting to hear about some of the places she has been to and people she has met. She is quite an expert on world affairs.

The chances of my doing this are just about zero and I expect the chances of your meeting your famous person are just as slim. You would need a special appointment and arrangements to be made. Have you ever thought though how easy it is for us to get instant access to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords? No appointments or special arrangements are necessary.  We can come into his presence at any time and he is delighted to see us. Why is it then that we make such little use of this? 

From our loving Father and Jesus we can get all the wisdom, insight, understanding, provision, mercy, grace as well as all the reassurance and peace we could ever need. The amazing thing too is that Jesus is even keener to spend time with us than we are to spend time with him!  He longs to draw aside with us but our busy minds and cluttered lives make it hard for him to make contact with us. 

Today just stop and think what it might be like to have a half hour exclusive interview with the Creator of all the earth. What would you like to talk to him about? Your problems or would you talk to him about what he has made and his love for his creation and especially for man? Would you ask him about some tricky situation that has been bothering you or marvel that you are sitting there talking to him? 

Whatever your topic of conversation, remember too that he wants to talk to you, shower you with his love and bathe you in his affection and acceptance. All it takes is half an hour of our time. 

The better way

Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken from her. Luke 10: 42

There is something about the story of Mary and Martha that draws me back every time. I think many of us secretly feel sorry for poor old Martha, slaving away in the kitchen, while Mary sat listening at Jesus’ feet. As I said in a previous blog (Jesus loved Martha) too many of us identify with Martha because we prefer to be doing something / anything rather than sitting at Jesus’ feet.

So often nowadays when I meet someone I have not seen for a while and ask them how things are going they will invariably reply, ‘busy’ or ‘hectic’. Secretly I think we want people to believe we are busy because they don’t want us to think we are lazy or don’t have anything much to do. It is the old protestant work ethic; pride in achievements. We want people to look at our accomplishments and be impressed.

Yet whilst God wants us to be fruitful which is not the same as busy and is certainly not a list of achievements, what God wants most of all is relationship. This is what Mary chose and that is why Jesus commended her for choosing what is better. I believe if Martha was saying one thing to us today it would be, ‘follow Mary’s example!’ Martha may have been a marvellous servant – in the right sense of the word – but she also had great faith (John 11:25) and she didn’t get that preparing the sandwiches in the kitchen. She must have spent time with Jesus. 

Too often we substitute relationship with Jesus with works for Jesus. Whilst it is important that our faith is shown through works (James 2:14 – 26) our relationship with Jesus is much more important. Relationships can be hard especially when you cannot see the one you are trying to have relationship with. Jesus though will do all he can to draw us to him and through his Holy Spirit make his presence real in our lives.

Jesus’ priority was his relationship with the Father. He always spent time with him going to lonely places to pray or staying up all night if necessary (Luke 6:12).  It was from this place of relationship with the Father that all the works of Jesus, the teaching, healings, miracles, signs and wonders flowed.  Jesus also spent three years building relationships with the disciples that bore fruit for years and generations to come.

If we could ask those who have gone before us what their greatest regrets have been, I am sure that too much time spent in works and not enough time spent in relationships would be high on everyone’s list.  Let us resolve to prioritise again our relationships especially with the Lord and those closest to us. We may not get as much done as we may have liked but it will never be time wasted.