“…you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needful…”
Luke 10:41-42
Dear fellow Mom, this message from our Savior is for you: one thing is needful.
In the midst of your meal prep and house cleaning and teaching and serving and laundry and loving and disciplining and nurturing and on and on it goes…
Know this: all of those things are important. But they’re not the one needful thing.
We talk a lot about priorities for our families, don’t we? We ask God for wisdom and chat with our husbands about what sports the kids should play, what lessons they should take, which subjects to emphasize, what hobbies to encourage, how to squeeze in family time, how much church ministry to take on, which friendships to pursue…
But all too often, I fear we’re simply running around in circles chasing a lot of things that still aren’t the one needful thing.
So what is the one needful thing?
Just this: time with God.
And not in a “one-more-thing-to-check-off-my-list” kind of way.
It’s really more like a “slow-down-and-take-your-time-and-really-linger” kind of way.
Because the more things you have on your “to-do” list, the more you need the one needful thing.
And guess what else?
There’s only one needful thing for your children, too.
So in the midst of math and grammar and spelling…
and ministry and chores and family time…
and playdates and soccer practice and piano lessons…
don’t forget to teach them diligently about Him.
His commands. His Word. His character. How to serve. How to love.
And perhaps most importantly, how they can spend time with Him for themselves.
Parenting bears many responsibilities, each one important. But none of them, not one, is as important as teaching our children how to live in relationship with their God. And it starts by living that way ourselves.
Heavenly Father, with all that I am, I thank You for the completely undeserved privilege of knowing you. That You would welcome me into Your presence and show me things about You that I never knew before is unfathomable. Truly, in Your presence is fullness of joy. May I be faithful to lead my children to Your presence, and may we both dwell there all of our days. It’s in Jesus name that I pray, Amen.
I LOVE THIS!! I often have to remind myself of the most important needful thing that affects all other things. Thank you for sharing this, sweet friend.
I need this reminder often, too, Holly. Thank you for being one who spurs me on in this matter, and in others!
What an important reminder! I’ll never forget reading The Purpose Driven Life and realizing that it really can be that simple – to focus on the one thing, which is following after the Lord rather than all of the details. It almost seems too good to be true, but when we have that in place we don’t have to worry or stress over the details!
Jen 🙂
You’re so right, Jen – and yet I still manage to need this reminder so often. How thankful I am for His grace that keeps whispering this truth.