But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” - Luke 10:41-42 (NLT)

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How has your week been so far? There’s a good chance your mind went to one of two responses: good or busy.

‘Good’ is generally reserved for the neighbor you’re not interested in having a conversation with right now, and ‘busy’ is one of the most common answers to just about everyone else. But why do so many of us readily admit to being busy? Why is it that the everyday tasks of December get the best of us? There’s no denying the fact that the speed of life always seems to pick up around the holidays. The endless to-do lists of Christmas shopping, prepping for family get-togethers, and trying to keep the kids or grandkids entertained can be quite draining. Although busyness isn’t bad, it’s important to be aware of our current pace of life in order to track whether or not it’s taking away from the most important things in life. And what are the most important things? People.

In today’s verses from Luke, Jesus is explaining to Martha that there are and always will be many things around us that clamor for our attention, energy, and effort. More often than not, we allow that which is urgent to take the place of that which is most important. Creating margin in our schedules should always be on our minds, but even more so when life speeds up around the holidays.

Take some time today to read the rest of today’s passage in Luke 10:38-42. Ask yourself what it will take to be more like Mary this Christmas season.