The only thing that matters

Psalm 27:4: “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.”

We’re busy. We have a lot of stuff going on--school, work, relationships, personal interests, and desires...Some of it is important stuff--big stuff, real stuff--but guess what? It doesn’t maer...Wait, what am I saying? What about all the good things that God has clearly brought into my life? They don’t matter?

Yep, that’s what I’m saying. Because only one thing truly matters--the central, foundational, bedrock thing.... prayer. Prayer is where Jesus meets us, and most importantly, loves us. It’s where the Father meets us and loves us, where the Holy Spirit fills us with the love of the Father and the Son for us. Martha and Mary are a great example here. In Luke 10: 40-42 we read, “But Martha was distracted with much serving; and she went to Him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has le me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her.”

“One thing is needful.” This is what Jesus said. Note He didn’t say “Mary is studying her faith” or “Mary is really working hard on her mission” or “Mary has all the right answers.” One thing is needful – to sit at the feet of Jesus, to be in the presence of the Father, to be open to the Holy Spirit. This is prayer. Without prayer, nothing we do has power, nothing is right, nothing is valuable. With prayer, everything we do matters. His power is working through every aspect of our lives. Every mission He gives us, no matter how small. matters. You were created to be loved, and then to go and follow Him, to place your unique gifts and talents at His disposal for the world.

But what do we do? We wake up and try to drum up some excitement for the day, exert our influence on our day and make things happen! Get after it, right?! So why do we feel so exhausted, and worried, concerned about the future, and shamed by our past? We’ve set an incorrect order in our lives. We are following the wrong path. We must begin with prayer, at the feet of the One who loves us unconditionally, who loves us with a fire that we cannot comprehend. The Father, your brother Jesus, the Holy Spirit, long for you to open yourself to Them. Every day, first thing in the morning. Nothing else matters.