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"One Thing Is Needful”
by Evangelist Billy Strachen
T here are several essentials we have been studying concerning what qualifications are necessary to be able to teach others and to be a ready wit ness for the Lord Jesus Christ. There are some who only know that which is a religion of works, and that they feel they must earn or merit eternal life through doing good. Others have been saved by grace, but they have gone no further and are still babes in Christ. The third aspect is brought into focus as we look at the tenth chapter of Luke, beginning at verse 38. “Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. 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: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (verses 38-42). Jesus told Martha that she* lacked one thing. But, there were several things that were definitely not needful. One of the greatest spiritual diseases which distracts the child of God from fellowship with Christ is being too busy with much serving. We live in a
day when we are exhorted to get out and to do more, see more, save more and generally bend every effort to help God. If we could only realize that what Christ says, Christ means: “I have not come to be served but to serve!” How amazing that Christians consider Christ strong and adequate enough to save them from sin, but from that day on He suddenly becomes totally inade quate for the work that He desires to accomplish here and now. We mere mortals have to help Him out with every ounce of strength we have. How subtle is Satan to take our attention away from the greatness and the ade quacy of Christ to complete the work He has come to do through us. In the Old Testament we read of the young man who' was given a job to do. He was told to keep in custody a certain person, who got away. He came to his master and said, “Behold, as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone.” Some people who have received the gift of eternal life in Christ have been so busy here and there that when they suddenly stop one day they discover they have never enjoyed the knowledge of His presence in their lives. He is, as .it were, as good as gone. Yet don’t give up hope. He is there. He is just not being rec ognized as being there. We are too busy trying to be for him instead of allowing him to be for us. Martha had invited Christ into her (continued on next page) 29
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