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Drop everything.

Easier said than done, isn't it? Places to go, people to see, things to do. You're constantly juggling school, work, family, friends, church. And you think that if you look away for even one second, it could all come crashing down.

Well, you're not alone on this one. Jesus had a friend who was in the same boat: poor, frazzled Martha. You can just imagine what was going on in her head as she tried to prepare Jesus' supper:

Bake the bread. Lay out the tablecloth. Arrange the fruit. … You'd think Mary could come back here and help me, wouldn't you? But oh, no. Not her. She knows I'm in the kitchen, slaving away, and she's just sitting there, listening to Jesus. Who does she think she is, anyway?

Martha was ticked. She stormed out of the kitchen and complained to Jesus, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" (Luke 10:40)

Martha felt like she had to be Super Hostess—cook, waitress and maid, all in one. She couldn't see past the immediate, picky details of entertaining an honored guest. She was blinded by her own busyness.

Mary, on the other hand, knew that Jesus was more than a guest. And he saw her as more than a hostess. Jesus was the son of the living God, the greatest man ever to walk the planet, the man whose words and actions would change all of human history. Mary was his friend and follower.

So what if dinner was a little late? Mary knew that didn't really matter. As long as Jesus was talking, she was going to be listening.

Cooking? Or listening to Jesus? Seems like a no-brainer. But Martha didn't see it that way. Jesus had to slow her down to get her attention.

"'Martha, Martha,' the Lord answered, 'you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her'" (Luke 10:41-42).

Only one thing is needed! Martha stopped dead in her tracks. A bundle of napkins fell to the floor. She didn't even notice. She'd finally set her eyes on Jesus, and everything else faded into the background.

Martha had been missing out on the joy of fellowship with Jesus. That was the one thing she really needed. And it was the only thing that made everything else she did worthwhile.

Jesus didn't tell Martha that what she was doing was wrong. Cooking and serving and cleaning up aren't bad things. Just like school, work, family, friends and church aren't bad things. In fact, all of these things are very good, which is why it's so easy to let them dominate our day-planners.

Jesus did tell Martha that Mary's choice was better. Martha's cooking was fine, but it was only going to last until the food was all eaten. Mary's experience of listening to Jesus was going to affect her life forever.

Obviously, we all have plenty to do, and not all of it is going to affect the rest of our lives. And we'd never get anything done if we spent every minute asking ourselves, Is this the absolutely best thing I could be doing right now? But it's a question to think about now and then.

Do you have time to pray every day? Can you relax enough to enjoy a good book or a long walk outside? Is there room in your day for devotions and quiet time? In the midst of all you do, are there times you can just be with God?

Life was never meant to be a non-stop stress-fest. It's OK to slow down. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Drop everything. Take a deep breath and rest for a while. You'll never lose the time you spend with Jesus.

1998 by the author or Christianity Today International/Campus Life magazine. For reprint information call 630-260-6200 or e-mail clmag@CampusLife.net

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