God Doesn't Need You To Impress Him

DAILY VITAMIN
- God Doesn't Need You To Impress Him
"But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things." (Luke 10:40-41)
     If there's one thing you should know, it is that you can't impress God. There's nothing you can do that He hasn't seen before. In fact, God doesn't need you to impress Him; He wants you to cling to Him. That's what He meant in Micah 6:7-8. He has no need, only a will; and that will is to have us dwell completely in Him.
    In the theme scripture, you will realize that Martha was trying to impress Jesus. She had a big dinner all planned, and was making preparations; but when she realized no one was trying to help her make it work - especially her sister Mary, she got into a fit, became very furious and complained to Jesus.
    Doesn't that remind you of something you may have done at one time? Perhaps, you were preparing for a great outreach program you have been planning all summer, and it's almost time to leave, but you all can't because one person in the group needed some minutes to pray. However to you, it's considered a bad time, even as you go on ranting about how you might not get there on time as planned because he or she is taking your time. Well, guess who you have been thus far in this story? Martha.
     Martha equates activities to devotion. She thinks she always has a big point to prove to Jesus; yet she forgets that He loved her even when there was no point to prove. And because of this, she becomes more mechanical than spiritual, because she assumes it's in her power to please Him, and not His grace. On the other hand, Mary knows activity is simply activity, but fellowship is devotion. She understands that it's not what you can bring to Jesus that transforms you, but what you can obtain from His presence. She knew time is not limitless, and so she chose to spend that which she had with Him. Remember, she was the same lady who didn't care about how ragged she may have looked just so that she could sit close to His feet and anoint Him with perfume. Now she was on the floor again, listening to the Word of life He spoke.
     And what did Jesus say about it? Did He reprove her? No! He said "There is really one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it- and I won't take it away from her!" (Luke 10:42 TLB). And what was it she had discovered? That God doesn't care as much about the accent you use in prayer, or the quality of the clothes you wear, or the kind of food you can offer during a love feast as He does about your willingness to abide in Him. Even Peter almost made this error. He said "Leave me, for I am not worthy to have you around" (Luke 5:8); but Jesus said 'I know, but I want you anyways'. He is not looking for only billionaires, ethical people or elites to save; He wants to save everybody. He's got no preference. And we didn't do anything to merit that; because nothing we can do can impress He who already chose and loved us even while we were good-for-nothings (2 Timothy 1:9). However, there's one thing He wants from you - Seek Him, and live (Amos 5:4). That's what He desires - your endless devotion to Him.

Prayer:
Father, You are the God who loved me even when there was not amiable in me. Yet you died for me, and rose again to justify me. You lifted me up to attain a better life. There's nothing I could do that you didn't help me achieve. And so as such, I know that all I am is yours, and it's all I will ever live for- even for your glory. Amen