But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.”

But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:40-42, ESV

Suppose you had a list of 20 things to do today, but only got one of them done. Would you consider your day to have been a success? Would others who were depending on you consider your accomplishments successful? The answer to both questions is probably not, but let's look at this topic from the perspective that Christ wants us to have for our life's "to do" list.

Imagine for a moment that your days in this world have come to an end. Perhaps you had lived a long life, but in the eyes of men you really hadn't accomplished anything "worthwhile". You had not achieved great success in business. Your relationships were not what others would consider impressive. You weren't a hero during the war. You hadn't made any "Who's Who" publications. In fact, when it came down to it, in the eyes of mankind and perhaps even in your own you really hadn't done anything which would be considered extraordinary or noteworthy.

But then, at the Judgment, you heard these words: "Well done, good and faithful servant." Would you now consider your life to have been a success? Reverse the results for a moment and consider this: If you had done all of those things that men and women admire but were not saved in the end, would your life had been a success? The answer is clearly, "No!"

In the passage above, Martha and Mary were entertaining Jesus in their home. It was a great honor as well as a great responsibility. Mary was doing what most would think was the most important. She was making the physical preparations for Jesus' meal. Mary on the other hand was just sitting there listening to Jesus talk, so Martha asked Him to intervene and have her lazy sister make herself useful. That's when Jesus told her that only one thing was needed and Mary had chosen it.

Now, the point of all of this is not to suggest that this is an either/or decision. We can still have proper, physical pursuits and I hope that you accomplish many wonderful and important things during your time here on earth. I hope you have goals in mind for these accomplishments, but the top of the list of these things on your "to do" list has to be the salvation of your eternal soul and the salvation of your loved ones. If you accomplish this, all of the other things really won't matter much. On the other hand, if you should be so accomplished as to live a life filled with physical achievements, but you and your loved ones are lost, then you have failed.

What is at the top of your list?

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6:33, ESV