FRESH START READERS: We are delighted to share with you a two-week series of devotionals that are the follow-up to We Women’s 2012 annual conference entitled Choices: God’s Answers for Life’s Toughest Choices.
Choose What is Better…Sit at His Feet
By Karen D’Amore
“Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken from her.”
Luke 10:42
Imagine: There in the Living Room was Mary, sitting at the feet of Jesus. Gazing into His eyes, she listened intently as His words captivated her. All the while, Martha was in the kitchen slamming cupboards and clanging pots, annoyed that she was preparing the meal alone. Mary was neither moved nor distracted by the noise in the kitchen; her focus firmly fixed on The Master. After rebuking Martha for her misplaced priorities, Jesus commends Mary for “choosing what is better.”
Even though it went against the grain of societal expectations and meant ignoring her regular duties, Mary correctly discerned that listening to Jesus was more important than anything else she could choose. Mary’s extravagant love and devotion to Jesus impelled her to choose what was better.
As Christ-followers, there is no better place for us to be and no place where we are more welcome, than at the feet of Jesus. When we sit at His feet, listening to His Word, He becomes our spiritual compass, keeping us pointed in the right direction. By His Word, we are strengthened and sustained for the journey and tasks of each day. At His feet, we acknowledge His majesty and goodness. In that inner worship and communion, we learn that the most important part of the believer’s life, is the part that only Jesus sees. That stillness before Him endows us with the balance of sitting and serving: sitting without serving is powerless…serving without sitting is directionless…serving after sitting produces power and balance.
Danish artist Thors Walden sculpted a life-size statue of Jesus, in such a way, that you can’t see His face from a standing position. Next to the statue is a sign that reads, “If you want to see the face of Jesus, you must sit at His feet.” When you sit at the feet of the statue, only then are you able to see His face.
The one thing that Jesus seeks, above all else, is to see our devoted hearts sitting at His feet. This must be our first priority, as this is the place…where we see His face and find in Him peace and rest. It is in these quiet moments that He directs our steps and empowers us to discern suitable balance between sitting and serving.
In humility, adoration, dependence and devotion…Mary chose what was better…sitting at the feet of Jesus. When as the last time you saw His face? Why not choose “what is better” and sit awhile!
GOING DEEPER:
1. Do you tend to choose work over worship? How can you restructure your priorities to ensure spending more time at His feet?
FURTHER READING:
Married to Dan, Karen, a retired police officer, currently works as a Manicurist at Craig Berns Salon. She’s a leader for Oakwood’s Tuesday a.m. Bible Study and a volunteer at the Wildlife In Need Center.
