Scripture Readings
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” – Matthew 6:33
“Mary…sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.” – Luke 10:39-40
Reflection
We live in a culture consumed with urgency. There is always more to do, more to manage, more to keep up with. Yet, as Jesus taught in the story of Mary and Martha, what matters most is not the endless tasks but sitting at His feet, making room for Him.
Stephen Covey describes the principle of “big rocks first” – the idea that if you put the most important things into your schedule first (the big rocks), everything else will fit around them. If you start with the small stuff, the big priorities get crowded out.
In our spiritual lives, Jesus must be the big rock. Yet so often, He gets crowded out by the tyranny of the urgent. We fill our calendars with meetings, obligations, and endless activity—only to find our souls depleted, distracted, and spiritually dry.
Making room for God means creating intentional space in our lives to be with Him. It means saying no to lesser things so we can say yes to the most important thing. It means being more like Mary, sitting at the feet of Jesus, rather than Martha, busy and distracted.
January is a time we often reconfigure out patterns, rhythms, and schedules and so it presents us a natural opportunity to carve out space for Jesus in our lives. Let’s not miss this opportunity in 2025.
Today’s Invitation:
Identify the big rocks in your life this week. For extra credit, look ahead in January. For extra extra credit, look a few months out. Where do you need to carve out intentional space for Jesus? Begin with a commitment to daily time in Scripture and prayer. Consider practical ways to protect that space—whether it’s turning off your phone, canceling a non-essential meeting, or waking up earlier.
Ask yourself: What needs to shift in my schedule so that seeking God’s presence is not an afterthought but the foundation?
Ask God: “What areas of my life have become cluttered with the urgent but not the important?” Confess areas where you have prioritized busyness over intimacy with God. Invite the Holy Spirit to reveal ways to re-center your life around Jesus.
Closing Prayer
“Jesus, I confess that I have often let the urgent crowd out the important. I want You to be my first priority. Help me make space for You today. Teach me to live like Mary, choosing what is better, sitting at Your feet, and finding rest in Your presence. Amen.”
In Our Time 