Where Is Mary?

"And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word" (Luke 10:39)

Today the Christian emphasis falls heavily on the "active" life. People are more concerned with earth than with heaven; they would rather "do something" than to commune with God. The average Christian feels a lot nearer to this world than to the world above. The current vogue favors "Christian action." The favorite brand of Christianity is that sparked by the man in a hurry, hard-hitting, aggressive and ready with the neat quip. We are neglecting the top side of our souls. The light in the tower burns dimly while we hurry about the grounds below, making a great racket and giving the impression of wonderful devotion to our task.

It is time that we prayerfully test the favor of present Christianity and compare its spiritual quality with that of the New Testament. I think we shall find the element of spiritual worship all but absent from it.

It is to our lasting reproach that we cannot live full, rounded and symmetrical lives, embodying in our redeemed personalities the practical service of Martha and the adoring vision of Mary. We would appear to be unwilling to have both sisters present at once. Just now Martha is all over the premises, but where is Mary?   I wish someone would find her soon.

Lord, forgive me for neglecting the important aspects of worship and adoration. Quiet my heart as I sit at Jesus' feet to hear what He has to say to me. Amen

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As Much Like God As Possible

"But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant" (Matthew 20:26-27)

From these words we may properly conclude (and the context strongly supports the conclusion) that there is nothing wrong with the desire to be great provided (1) we seek the right kind of greatness; (2) we allow God to decide what is greatness; (3) we are willing to pay the full price that greatness demands; and (4) we are content to wait for the judgment of God to settle the whole matter of who is great at last.

No one whose heart has had a vision of God, however brief or imperfect that vision may have been, will ever consent to think of himself or anyone else as being great. The sight of God, when He appears in awesome majesty to the wondering eyes of the soul, will bring the worshiper to his knees ... and fill him with such an overwhelming sense of divine greatness that he must spontaneously cry "Only God is great!"

Obviously there are two kinds of greatness recognized in the Scriptures - an absolute, uncreated greatness belonging to God alone, and a relative and finite greatness achieved by or bestowed upon certain friends of God .. who by obedience and self-denial sought to become as much like God as possible.

Lord, help me to emulate You, the model of true greatness, today and every day. Amen

~A. W. Tozer~