Choose the better thing....

This morning I was reading in Acts 6.  I didn't get far before the Lord stopped me. The beginning of this chapter deals with setting up church leadership... but there is a phrase in verse 4 that jumped out at me and applies even not only to church leadership, but also to our day to day lives.

"give attention to prayer and the ministry of the Word."

Isn't this what the Lord wants each of us to do? To give attention... make time... priority time... to pray and be in the Word and pour the Word into others?

I am busy... as most everyone of you are too... and if I am not careful, the busyness of my life takes over and causes me to either not give attention to prayer and the Word or to do so rapidly as if to get it done and off my to-do list for the day... a task, not a delight.  As I pondered this phrase, I was taken back to a familiar story in Luke 10. Jesus has come to the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus.  Martha is rushing about making sure everything is done... not bad things.. things that need to be dealt with, but that don't have to take priority right then.... they will still be there to do once Jesus has left the house.  Mary, on the other hand, has stopped all her activity and is sitting at the feet of Jesus taking in all He says (Luke 10:39).  Martha continues to work and work and get more frazzled as she has a pity party in her mind about all she is doing and all Mary is not.  She decides to make Jesus aware of the injustice of the situation, but is, no doubt, taken back by His reply:

"Martha, Martha, 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)

Today, I want to choose what is better... I want to give attention to prayer and the ministry of the Word.  I pray to have ears that hear and a heart that responds to whatever the Lord calls me to.  I want to be a sheep that knows the Shepherd's voice and responds when He calls.

What will you choose today?

Narrow or Broad... which do you choose?

We are reading through the New Testament in 40 days as a church, so we are in Matthew right now. Read lots of familiar stuff today, but this one small part really popped out at me:

Matthew 7:13 & 14 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

That is a very sobering thought and also one that applies to life choices other than salvation (the most important choice). We so often view this as a passage for the lost, but I think there is a great message for Believers here also. It is easy to go along with the crowd on the broad road... to do the thing accepted by the world... but it is much more difficult to walk through that narrow gate and do what Jesus would have you do. To stand firm and be set apart.

While the easy (broad) way seems easy at the time, it does lead to destruction.. even if you are saved and your eternity is secure, the enemy can use that broad way to destroy your witness and your testimony and steal that abundant life Christ offers. That narrow road choice may be tough, but it brings life.. abundant life... now and eternally!