When Service and Devotion Compete

Biblical counseling is a passion with me. I must confess, I delight in seeing people come to freedom in Christ. When I can help, (in some small way), lift a person out of the bondage of sin and into the freedom of Christ, I am elated (I realize that only the Lord can set a person free). The times I have been used of the Lord to show a person how to be saved from their sins and the fires of hell, has brought me great joy. I remember how I delighted in writing a book that exposed the lies of the enemy. I still have letters from people who found their way to a new level of freedom and healing through the pages of that book. I said all of this because I must confess that at times the joy of service has overshadowed my love and devotion for the Lord. I have a tendency to be more of a Martha than a Mary in my Christian walk. Perhaps the Lord would be pleased to have us visit the account of Mary and Martha once again. "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!' 'Martha, Martha,' the Lord answered, 'you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her'" (Luke 10:40-42). There is the revelation of a great danger in this account. Should our concern for serving Jesus exceed our need to be with Jesus, we are in danger of focusing on the lesser thing. When we make the lesser thing a priority we are operating in the flesh. I personally find it hard to just sit and listen. I seem to be wired for action. I remember serving a millwright apprenticeship when I was young. During a down time, several of the older men, were sitting down and resting. A foreman came by and shouted "do something, even if its wrong." That statement stayed with me. The older I get the more I realize If I do something without the Lord's direction, it most likely will be wrong. Today would be a great day to listen more and yes, do less. The Lord is greatly pleased with our love and devotion toward Him, then He is pleased with the work He instructs us to do. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.