And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her." —Luke 10:41-42
Concerned over all the little details of dinner, Martha spent her night resenting her work and missing out on the most important task—sitting at the feet of Jesus. She was so busy serving Jesus, she had no time to spend with Jesus.
Serving the Lord is a wonderful and necessary thing. However, that service should come from a place of joy and excitement. We should never find ourselves complaining to Jesus about the things we do for Him.
If you serve Jesus, you must first worship Him.
In contrast to Martha, Mary "chose that good part." The good part was intimacy with Jesus. While Martha ran around the kitchen, Mary sat at His feet taking in every word.
Since both service and worship are necessary ingredients in the life of a believer, we are basically talking about the need for balance. The well-balanced life is one that manifests love for the Lord through service for the Lord, but which also includes time for fellowship and worship. Both are needed. Is your life balanced? Are you serving out of love, or obligation?
If you would serve Him, you must first worship Him. It is when we sit at His feet that we gain the strength we need for life. When we sit in worship before Him, He then guides us in our activities.
Father, thank You that whenever we drop to Your feet, You are there waiting for us. Teach us, Lord. Tell us how we can serve You—because we want to bless You. In Jesus' name, amen.