Sitting at His feet

Priorities are so hard to decide on sometimes.  Someone wisely taught me that my priorities should go like this:

1. Jesus
2. Family
3. (no prioritization here- just 1 clump) Work, Church, fun and chores

1.  Jesus
I was so confused.  How could Jesus be more important than my family or Church!!?  But, then I listened more.  If I am right with Jesus, He is able to show me He is my Savior and Lord.  Once we accept Him, as Lord and Savior, He never leaves us.  I listen to Him by reading His Word, the Bible.  Then I praise Him, and pray for myself and others.  When I get too busy for Him, I am agitated by little things, I get down on myself easier.  The devil has a foothold in my life.  Not that I'm perfect after I sit at His feet!  No way!  But I am steady.  It's not about just knowing I'm loved.  It's about knowing God has a plan, that no matter what my circumstances, I'm still of value to Him.  I was created to be of value.  Then I can contribute to the Church and serve my family.

2.  Family
My family is my second priority.  I need to make sure my husband has breakfast, clean clothes, and knows he is loved.  I need to keep in touch with my brother and his family.  I'm the only Christian they know.  Sometimes I wonder why on earth that weird uncle is in my family- but God knows why.  He put him there.  If I had kids, it would be important that I train them up in the ways of God- and take good care of them.  But I'm much more fun and happy after my time with the Lord.

3.  Church, Work, Fun and Chores
Church and Work can turn into obligations that distract us from serving God, from our relationship with Him.  Work can be the place we go to get our sense of value instead of God.  The problem is sometimes you're amazing and sometimes you're a failure at work, people change their minds quickly.  It's a roller coaster ride for your ego.  Church is a place we worship as a community, work a place to earn money to pay our way- not our reason for living or the place we get our self-esteem.  Money is a tool for survival, the more we have the more we worry about losing it.  Fun to me is as or more important than vitamins- I'm still a kid at heart.  And chores?  Our mansions will be clean in Heaven!  Yay!  Until then, it's much easier to clean a clean house than a dirty one...  I better keep cleaning.  With God, I'm not left on my own to figure out if I'm ok or not.  He provides what most of us truly desire, "contentment."  And with my eyes off me, I can truly worship at Church, learn, sing, meet people, help others and grow.  My husband sits proudly by my side. It's not like that at all when we have intense fellowship on the way to Church...  Contentment, God's gift to us when we are wise.

And to find contentment it takes the presence of Jesus, and wisdom.

Proverbs 4:1-9

I envision a wonderful old man sitting us down to listen to his words.  He has glasses, short gray hair, and a few wrinkles on his face, his plaid shirt is cleanly pressed by his wife's loving hands.
1 Listen, friends, to some fatherly advice;
sit up and take notice so you'll know how to live.
2 I'm giving you good counsel;
don't let it go in one ear and out the other.

3 When I was a boy at my father's knee,

the pride and joy of my mother, 

4 He would sit me down and drill me:

"Take this to heart. 

Do what I tell you — live! 

5 Sell everything and buy Wisdom! Forage for Understanding!

Don't forget one word! 

Don't deviate an inch! 

6 Never walk away from Wisdom — she guards your life;

love her — she keeps her eye on you.
7 Above all and before all, do this: 

Get Wisdom!

Write this at the top of your list:
Get Understanding! 

8 Throw your arms around her — believe me, you won't regret it;

never let her go — she'll make your life glorious. 

9 She'll garland your life with grace,

she'll festoon your days with beauty."
THE MESSAGE

Just like the days of Mary and Martha, Jesus is still waiting for us to sit at His feet, read His Word and listen.  The room would've had clay walls with light coming through the windows.  Everyone in robes, with wide-eyed Mary kneeling before Jesus as He spoke.  Women weren't supposed to interrupt the men in this time period.  She just couldn't help herself from listening to Him, such wisdom.  Maybe she felt the warmth and love I feel in my quiet times with Him.

Luke 10:38-42
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
NIV