Have you ever had someone over to your house for dinner? If so, you know that it takes a bit of work. You have to get your house ready, find out whether your guests have any dietary restrictions, prepare the food, entertain, and then clean up again once they leave. As enjoyable as it is to have company, it’s still no easy task. In Luke 10, a woman named Martha decided she wanted to impress Jesus and his disciples with her hospitality. She opened her home to them, and while she was making all the preparations and ensuring everything was perfect, she noticed something. She was doing all of the work by herself. Her sister Mary, who should have been helping her, was at the feet of Jesus, listening to him teach while she slaved away on her own to prepare for this dinner party.

How dare Mary just sit there while Martha did all of the work? In fact, how could Jesus be okay with Mary’s laziness while Martha did all of this for Him?! So Martha went over to Jesus and demanded that he do something about this injustice. However, to Martha’s surprise, Jesus did not correct Mary. Instead, He corrected Martha. She had become so focused on the immediate that she was missing the opportunity to soak in the eternal. As you continue on this journey, it is extremely important that you are taking the time to let God’s vision be yours, which requires making the time to focus on the things that really matter.

Throughout the gospels, there are many instances where Jesus would purposefully get away from people so he could be alone with the Father. That’s because Jesus understood that in order for God’s will to be carried out in His life, He needed to prioritize time with His Father. Jesus wanted God’s vision to be His vision as well. The very same Jesus that walked on water, healed the sick, raised the dead, cast out demons, and was (and is) God incarnate still found time to refresh Himself and sync up with the Father. If it was that important to Jesus, shouldn’t it be just as important to you?

Are you making it a point to spend time with God on a consistent basis? Are you regularly reading and studying His word? Are you willing to sacrifice your phone, TV, or video games for time with Him? You cannot pursue God’s vision for your life if you’re not making time to let Him show it to you. The journey that God has set before you requires you to line up with God through prayer, fasting, and studying His word. This can be a sacrifice, but in order to really understand the fullness of God’s purpose for you, you must be willing to sacrifice the things that don’t really matter in exchange for the things that are eternal.