NGEN Blog
The Main Thing
Posted 1 year ago - Apr 30, 2024
From: Admin UserKeep the main thing, the main thing.
Like for real.
I was convicted of this very recently and this might convict you too. So, we're going to just be convicted together.
I was reading Luke 10:38 and it says,
It happened as they went that he entered a certain village (this is Jesus with his disciples), and a certain woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at Jesus’ feet and heard his word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care? My sister has left me to serve alone, therefore tell her to help me call Jesus.’
And he answered, ‘Martha, Martha, Martha. You're worried and troubled about many things, but one thing is needed. And Mary has chosen that good part, which will be not taken away from her.’
I was thinking, “Okay, Jesus. Are we supposed to be working?” Because if you don't work, you don't eat.
However, I've been distracted before where I thought I was doing the right thing, but I missed it.
I was spending time with my daughter not too long ago. It was a long day and I put on Blippi for her. He dresses up as like a clam and it's kind of weird, but it works out. She loves Blippi. He's always building something.
So, after a long day, I'm sitting on the couch laying down about to take me a little nappy nap. You know, just resting my eyes a little bit and she's watching TV. She’s three years old and she looks over at me because Blippi is about to build a spaceship out of cardboard boxes and go to space.
I'm like, cool, let me let Blippi do what Blippi does.
I'm taking a nap and a couple of seconds go by. She taps on me and she's like, ‘Hey, daddy’ with her beautiful brown eyes, ‘ Can we build a spaceship and go to space?’
She’s looking at me? And she's so pretty, it's hard to say, no. So, I decided, we're going to do this. But if we do, we're going to do it right.
I'm looking for cardboard boxes to make this rocket ship, to go to space, like Elon Musk. I get tape, some scissors, and a drill. What am I doing with the drill and a cardboard box? I don't know. But if we're going to do it, we're going to do it right.
Okay, so I'm working hard and I'm sweating. I'm trying to watch Blippi and I’m adjusting and whatnot. I got heat shields and a rocket booster and I look over and she's over here playing with something else, distracted.
I'm like, hello, look - we're trying to go to the moon over here and you're too busy, distracted.
Now, mind you, she's three. okay? The father of the year here. I’m thinking, do you want to do this, or do you want to do that? But then, I stopped myself. It was like the Lord tapped me on the shoulder. He was like, ‘She's doing the right thing, all she wanted to do was spend time with her father.‘
All she wanted to do was spend time with her father.
The rocket ship was cool. Going to space is awesome. But she wanted that daddy-daughter time. And I go back in the scriptures. Mary, sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word, but Martha was distracted with much serving.
I thought in the story my daughter was Martha and I was Mary. But it turned out to be the opposite. I was distracted with the good thing and missing the main thing, which was spending time with my daughter.
How many times do we forsake the God thing for the good thing? We're working hard and doing what we know to do. But sometimes we miss it because we're not resting and spending time with Jesus.
Now I get it, the main thing was spending time with me. My daughter got it right, childlike faith, and I totally blew it.
Let me ask you something. What's one thing that's good that you're replacing God with? There's a good thing that you're doing that maybe you should be pushing to the side because it's taken the place of God.
This idea can be super practical or super spiritual. And I want you to challenge yourself to think about that thing because it's important that we keep the main thing, the main thing.
By Neal Hopson (Neallytime)