As my family got together last night having a family devotion, I asked my daughters if they were concerned or worried about some things. My younger responded, “I am worried about writing my dairy. I don’t know what to write.”  Her elementary school teacher asks her class to keep a dairy every day in preparation for the formal Chinese composition as they move up to the third grade.

In fact, everyone has his own concerns, worries or troubles like my daughter. There troubles could weigh us down and make us lose our focus in life even if we are in the course of serving the Lord. The story of Martha and Mary can vividly illustrate this point. One day Jesus and his disciples were on the way to a village where sisters Martha and Mary lived. Martha welcomed Jesus into her house. She did all the preparations which made her fazed, so she told Jesus to tell her sister to help with the preparations as she was “sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening to his teaching.” Jesus didn’t ask Mary to leave and help; instead he answered, “Martha, Martha! You are worried and troubled over so many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the right things, and it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42.

“One thing is needed” is our focus and priority in life as Jesus answered Martha’s troubling heart. We frequently overwhelm ourselves with  many things we consider extremely important to us. What is important to us may be a trivial to God and on the contrary, an insignificant thing could matter to God.