A devotional by Monique M. Anderson
"But the Lord said to her, "My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her." –Luke 10:41-42 (NLT)
In this season of my life, I've noticed that I have been consumed with my performance.
I've been consistently asking myself questions like: Am I pleasing God? Did I do this right? Did I do this wrong? What are my next steps? How do I fix this?
I have been keeping myself busy like Martha worrying about how I am performing for God when there is only one thing He cares about: me sitting at His feet and spending time with Him. We think we are pursuing God when we do a bunch of things for Him, however we forget the only thing that concerns Him.
That one thing is simply enjoying His presence and not looking to get anything in return. You don’t always have to come looking for answers or your next steps. If He decides to reveal the details in the moments you spend with Him, that would be a bonus to your intimate time with Him. However, that should not be the goal.
The goal should be to desire the Lord above all things, even above serving Him. I am not saying that you should not serve the Lord because your love for Him allows you to serve. However, you should be before Him, fully attentive when He is before you. Sometimes our obedience to Him is just being free in His presence.
I am learning to allow myself to be free with Him. I have realized that this is the true meaning of full surrender. Not to serve Him with busyness but to serve Him with my submission. In our desire to serve with busyness, we neglect our guests as Martha did here in this verse. When I try to do "things" for Him, I'm not actually spending time with Him and allowing Him to move as He wishes.
I get consumed with the details. I like to see order, structure, and bullet points of what is to come. Without it, I feel out of whack. However, I've realized when I focus too much on figuring out the particulars then I miss the majesty of God. Flowing with Him feels so much better than worrying about the specifics. When you are not looking for all the answers, that's when He provides all the answers. He appreciates it so much more when we allow ourselves to be with Him.
When you are not so concerned with your performance, you will realize that your free-flowing time with God will outperform any task on your list. Jesus said, "There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her."
Mary discovered the one thing. She found the one thing that should be your only concern. She realized the only thing that should keep you occupied and busy. That one thing is a man named Jesus, and once He has found that special place in your heart, He cannot be taken away from you.
Let's Pray: Heavenly Father, forgive us for putting service to You above being with You. Lord, we desire to be present in Your presence. Not to gain anything in return, but to be close to You and be wrapped in The Holy Spirit. Help us focus on this one thing: our intimate time with you. Our time with you, Jesus, is precious and should not be taken for granted. Help us to slow down and appreciate the glory of God. In Jesus's Name, I pray. Amen.
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Author Bio:
Monique M. Anderson is a writer, creator, wife, and bonus mom. She was born and raised in Mount Vernon, NY, where she still resides. She released her always present yet hidden talent of writing to the masses in June 2019.
Monique always felt like God was chasing after her but was never ready to surrender. Finally, she reached a point in her life when things started going left, and she no longer felt in control. At this point, she was ready to hand over the reins to God. After forming her relationship with God, she always felt compelled to share the revelation’s that His word gave her. She felt the Holy Spirit prompting her to write but was afraid of what people might think. So, her writing started in her journal. The journal turned into a book and the book into a blog.
Her obedience provided more opportunities. In late 2021, Monique became a partner with the notable YouVersion Bible App as a Content Creator. With her first Bible plan debuting in December of 2021, she will continue to provide content for the app as long as God allows her to.
In 2021, God revealed her prophetic gift and how He wants her to use it. Monique always felt compelled to pray for others but had no idea God would use her in this way. Through this gift as a prophetic intercessor, she’s not just writing about what God can do but showing what God can do.
Since God has shown her who He created her to be, she now feels it is her life’s work to help those taking their first steps in their walk with Christ. She is doing so through her blog, prayer, and soon-to-be-published works. She is excited to extend her reach to YouTube, podcasts, and speaking engagements soon.
Her blog is the stepping stone to fulfilling the vision God gave to her – “Sharing God’s revelations so we can all better reflect his image and fulfill His purpose.”
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Connect with Monique:
Website: www.yourstrulymoe.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourstruly__moe/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Yours-Truly-Moe-140255684101423
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