accomplishments. . .

Let my goal in life (or in each day) never be to accomplish as much as possible.

As I sit in my weekly extended time with God, I am tempted to think about all that I need to do today and how I could get ahead if I had just a little extra time. I am tempted to leave this place and begin accomplishing tasks.

Yet, accomplishing great things, even for God, is not the best way. Mary and Martha taught us this in Luke 10. Martha busied herself with good things -- the accomplishment of making Jesus feel welcome in her home while Mary simply sat at Jesus' feet listening. Jesus told them that Mary had chosen the best thing to do. It is best to sit in the presence of Jesus -- to converse with him, to listen, to learn, to confess and be honest, to be healed, to understand, to be heard, to show affection and emotion, at times to be overwhelmed with reality -- physically falling before him, to break, to be comforted, to be empowered, to hear truth, to find strength, to be fed, to be pursued, to hear correction, to rest, to worship.

"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better." Ephesians 1:17

To know Him better -- how much greater is this than to accomplish more for Him. This seems especially difficult for those of us in full-time vocational ministry to understand.