Chapter 2: Choosing the Good Part

Relationship with the Lord

Corrie Ten Boom once said, "If Satan can't make you bad, he will make you busy." Keeping right priorities requires discernment to say "no" sometimes, even to good things.

Do you recall when Jesus went to dine with Mary and Martha? Martha was distracted with all the preparation. Jesus said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only a few are necessary, really only one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her" (italics added).

Both Mary and Martha loved Jesus and wanted to serve Him, but their choices made all the difference. Not only did Jesus acknowledge that Mary's choice to just be with Him was the good part, but that ultimately her choice was the only one that would satisfy.

You experience that "good part" when you are with Him:

He gives you rest when you are heavy-hearted (Matthew 11:28).
He gives peace in a way the world cannot (John 14:27).
He gives you wisdom (Psalm 19:7).

A Tale of Two Lumberjacks

Two lumberjacks, a younger one and an older one, raced to see who could cut down the most trees in a single day. At the end of the day the winner was obvious. The older lumberjack had won. The younger man could not believe it!

"How could you have cut down more trees than I did?" he asked. "Every hour you sat down while I kept right on cutting. I don't understand. How could you have cut more trees while sitting so much?"

"When I sat down, I was sharpening my axe," the older lumberjack said. "Why didn't you stop to sharpen your axe?" "I didn't have time," the younger man said. "I was too busy cutting!"

This story reminds us that in order to be an effective servant, to make our lives count for Christ, we should take time regularly to "sharpen" our lives.{1}

Who else can refresh us with the love and forgiveness we so desperately and constantly need for ourselves and others? Yet, in spite of these revelations, we get distracted, worried, and bothered, and thus, we do not make paramount what is most important. What He wants first, every time, and always, is you. Every day we make a choice. Each day the result can be a rich, rewarding, and satisfying relationship with Him which cannot be taken away.

Getting Started . . .

Our days so often go wrong because they do not start right. With the world, the flesh, and the devil all bidding for our time, we simply cannot afford the luxury of imagining that the day will go right without taking time to seek guidance. Below are four simple guidelines to "choosing the good part" as you begin your day:

Before you rise from your bed in the morning, begin your plan. First of all, simply give God thanks for the night's rest.
Give the new day to the Lord. You want Him to have your entire day.
Pray the prayer found in Psalm 119:33. Pray that God will not allow any sin to be your master that day.
Ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit. Dwight L. Moody once said, "We are leaky vessels and we need to stay under the fountain all the time." When you ask the Lord to fill you with His Holy Spirit, you are relinquishing all rights to the control of your life for that day.{2}

. . . for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Luke 10:41, 42

Starting your day well is only the beginning. The Lord desires to develop a love relationship with you. Investing consistent time getting to know Him through His Word and understanding the Spirit-filled life are important to effectively touch your world.{3}

Endnotes

{2}The material in the Getting Started . . . section was taken from "Starting the Day with God," ©Bill McLeod, Canadian Revival Fellowship, Box 584, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada S4P 3A3. Used with permission.

{3}An excellent resource on the Spirit-filled life is the book by Bill Bright, The Secret: How to Live with Purpose and Power, Thomas Nelson Publisher, 1993.

Return to Touching Your World Homepage

Email this to a friend