In the last blog, we talked about the issue of being overly occupied and distracted during the Christmas season. So much so that often we ignore the real reason for the celebration in the first place. Some stress can be a very good thing for us, keeping us motivated and moving us to a place where we seek to excel in life. But when we are so over occupied with unimportant and unnecessary activity that we begin to neglect the vital foundations of our relationships, stress becomes damaging. Luke 10:38-42 (AMP-C) says, 38 “Now while they were on their way, it occurred that Jesus entered a certain village, and a woman named Martha received and welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister named Mary, who seated herself at the Lord’s feet and was listening to His teaching. 40 But Martha [overly occupied and too busy] was distracted with much serving; and she came up to Him and said, ‘Lord, is it nothing to you that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me [to lend a hand and do her part along with me]!’” Martha was distracted with much serving. That sums up how we can often be during the Christmas season. Peter Drucker, a famous for profit and non-profit business guru, said that we need to be looking, not only at personal priorities, but also at our posteriorities. What he means by that is that it is just as important to have a list of things we don’t do as much as a list of things we need to do. There may be some things that consume our time that should not be a priority in our schedule and therefore, may need to be discarded and put behind us (posteriority). Jesus continues to speak to Martha in that 10th chapter, 41 “But the Lord replied to her by saying, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; 42 There is need of only one or but [a]a few things. Mary has chosen the good portion [that which is to her advantage], which shall not be taken away from her.’” Mary made it a priority to honor Jesus with her presence and attention. She made serving the meal a posteriority. Not that the meal was unimportant, but that its importance paled in comparison to being with Jesus. Martha did a good thing by serving the meal, but the meal became more important to her then the message the Lord wanted His people to hear. This Christmas season, rid yourself of those things that do not rise to the level of true importance. Embrace the things that are vital and give Jesus all the glory this season. Let some of those other things, the posteriorities, fall off. Be free this season. Be free in Christ. Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Be blessed even more!!

 

Pastor Chris