That One Thing - There is only one thing worth being concerned about!

How are you feeling in the midst of these changes? High cases, strict orders. Do you find yourself tired again? Do you feel lethargic? Do you find yourself craving for something to do, boredom, a sense of isolation? A kind of stress.

Do you feel like you are going through this pit-stop of doubt? A crossroads of your life.

I found myself recently in many moments of such frustration.

NY-Times give it a name for how we are feeling -

The last few weeks we have been talking about the first generations of christians, the OG of the OG group.

New Living Translation Chapter 10

Jesus Visits Martha and Mary

38 As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. 40 But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”

41 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 10

Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home.

39 She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word.

40 But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.”

41 But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things;

42 but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

Breakdown of the message:

1. We see Jesus entering a house, and the person who greets him at the door is Martha. She has great manners, great hospitality.

She welcomes Jesus as he comes in and prepares for him. While all of that is happening, there is this sibling name Mary. What Mary is doing is not being the hospitable one, not the one taking care of the chores, but instead she sits at the feet of Jesus, listening to him intently.

Martha was distracted with all her preparations, that she said “Lord do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone, can you tell her to come and help me?”

Jesus replied, “You are worried and upset by many things but one thing is necessary”. “There is only one thing worth being concern about, Mary has discovered it, and it’ll not be taken away from her!

What is this one thing that Mary has found?

Today’s message is called “That One Thing”.

— Pray —

We are constantly bombarded with many things. Things concerning us, and things not concerning us.

Our minds get filled with anxiety and worries to keep us alive. It sends a dopamine down our neuro-cortex, to keep our brains in survival mode. It was important for our ancestors who depended on it to survive but for us what do we worry about?

Did I lock the door? to

How am i going to pass this exams

What did that person think of me when I said “no”

In the NT, the word worry translate into merimnao (greek), which means to be anxious, distracted, or to have a divided mind.

Tell me of a time that you did not worry? I found out in a study that we spend 47% of our time worrying about the future, or the past. We spend out time thinking about what we didn’t do (in the past) or what is going to happen tomorrow (future). Anxiety and worries rob us from the present.

To worry means: To divide your mind between which is useful and worthwhile vs which is damaging and destructive

The New International Version Chapter 6

Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

What’s the result of worry?

Our brain tells us to do something! It doesn’t feel good. But it feels better to worry than not to worry i.e “Kid who hangs out late at night, parents worrying”

Our brain loves to link one to another, when i worry, i get solution. So I agree that worrying = solution.

The New International Version Psalm 139

23 Search me, God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts

We see in psalmist, worrying. Search me, to know my heart/soul. Test me and know my anxious thoughts.

Anxiety, worrying is not a sin. We can’t stop our thoughts - no one has every stopped it.

The New International Version Chapter 3

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

The New International Version Chapter 6

31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

We can understand why we worry, and what forms our worries?

Safety - will i be safe

Provision - will i have enough

Opinion - what will they think of me

Purpose - what will i make of myself

Our worry mask our true intention from wanting to be alive, and to be loved.

Do I live a life without fear or without worries?

Luke 10:38-42 Jesus Visits Martha and Mary

38 As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. 40 But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”

41 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

What are 3 things that worries rob Martha from? Person of Jesus, Peace of God, Purpose of God

“Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing” - Person of Jesus

Martha was distracted from what was really happening. She was caught up preparing the big dinner, to make sure that Jesus had a good meal, that there was food. Sometimes we can get caught up being distracted serving, doing that we forget who we are doing it for.

Jesus was teaching but we are serving, preparing, working. Is God calling us to listen? To sit with him? Do we find ourselves distracting ourselves from spending time with him by doing things for him?

Do we set aside time in our lives to be with Him? Even in our studies and our careers, we think maybe when i have more time, I’ll pursue God. But we worry and we panic and we struggle to find peace in our souls.

What are you distracted by? Even if they are good, what’s been on your mind.

“Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” - Peace of God

Martha got angry when Mary was just spending time with Jesus. Who is going to serve God? What about me?

Do you know if God sees your effort? Do you know if you are loved?

What is robbing you of your peace? What is making you jealous and angry? Who are you comparing yourself with?

“My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details!” - Purpose of God

The Chelsea Flower Show may well be the most famous flower show in the world. It attracts visitors from all continents. There are four grades of award presented, Gold, Silver-Gilt, Silver and Bronze. As well as awards for gardens and flowers, the Knightian award is for exhibits of vegetables.

I once heard a man being interviewed about the fact that he was retiring after winning the gold medal for his vegetables for ten years in a row. Asked for the secret of his success, he said, ‘I aim for perfection. But I settle for excellence.’

Perfectionists are overly critical of themselves and constantly concerned about what others think of them. It leads to a fear of failure and making mistakes. It can lead to depression, anxiety and missed opportunities.

Most of us are caught up with wanting to the insignificant, even though they are good things, they are not the important things.

What are you aiming for in life?

What is the one thing that Mary has discovered that cannot be taken away from her?

Nothing is permanent. Not earthly things, not korean drama, not your clash royale account, not your physical ability or your mental tenacity. Not your following, looks, or physique. Not relationships, not even life. — All these things can be taken from us.

“One thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

That One Thing is to sit at the feet of Jesus and to listen to him, it is our relationship with God.

Sitting at the feet of Jesus is simply not easy, it means to put aside everything that we honestly want to do, feel the urge to do and it submit and to listen. It means to slow down and be present. It means to be so in love with the person of Jesus that you would give full attention to him

Mr Rogers said “I’m very concerned that our society is much more interested in information than wonder. noise rather than silence.”

How tough is it to do that one thing? To trust that even when He sounds awfully quiet a thing about our situation, that He has heard our prayer, that He is doing something or teaching us something, that He truly cares.

There are going to be trials, and testings. Times where we are stretched beyond our comfort levels, anyone who has seriously failed and studied to come back from that will tell you. But it’s in these demanding and difficult times that we know our consistent, diligent, day after day - time set aside to sit with Him, in this very spot that will make history - not just for yourself, but for the people you hang out with, for your family, for your future husband and wife - we want the perfect spouse but are we working on being that Godly man and woman, we decide to then lower our standards and just pick any tom, dick or harry, our children, and our children’s children.

We get to leave a strong legacy for our generation and the generation to come.

In this time of heighten alert, what if it’s an opportunity for us to put our first things first.

The New International Version Chapter 6

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

What will I be? What do I do with my doubts? After all the worrying, it’s time to come back to Jesus. Sit at his feet, and tell him all about it. We may enjoy God on the mountain (tops), but we get to know Him in the valley (lows)

Response:

Are you burdened by your anxieties? Are you weighed down by your worries? Can I tell you that you have someone that you can sit at His feet and listen to. There is someone who will give you the peace in the midst of the storm. There is someone who will forgive you of your most grevious sin or mistake, remove all of your shame. There is someone who has been on your camp cheering you on, making intecessions for you since you were born. This person is Jesus.

Are you a perfectionist, someone who is distracted? It’s just really difficult to just sit down and trust God? Do it now.