Put Jesus First

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“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.” Luke 10:38–39 (TNIV)

I always felt a bit sorry for Martha, maybe because I am a Martha. I’m the organized one, getting things done, making sure the household runs smoothly. I don’t do well with spontaneity or last-minute changes. If I ask you to do something, I am trusting you’ll do it, and if you don’t, it messes everything up for me.

I read this story and want to say, “Well, Jesus obviously doesn’t know what’s going on in the kitchen. If I were Martha, I’d tell Him that it’s fine if Mary doesn’t help me, but I don’t want to hear any whining from Him when it’s nine o’clock at night and dinner still isn’t ready.”

But I realize that Jesus isn’t saying we should also allow the dishes to pile up in the sink while we read our Bibles together. He’s talking about priorities.

Mary’s first priority was Jesus. She could have picked better timing, in my opinion—like maybe after she’d done her work in the kitchen—but in putting Jesus first in her life, it enabled her to make better choices in other areas and to form better relationships with people, even her annoyed sister.

If you put Jesus first in your life, even over your love for your husband, it makes your marriage stronger. If you put Jesus first over your children, it enables you to raise them with more wisdom and love. If you put Jesus over the other things in your life that are important to you—like Martha’s obsession with the perfect dinner party—then the important things are put into perspective and become even better.

Faith Step: Where are you not putting Jesus first in your life? Over what areas? Pray for wisdom in rearranging your priorities. Choose what’s better, and it won’t be taken away from you.

—Camy Tang