Keeping the main thing -- the main thing.

What’s first in your life?  What’s your Main Thing in life? 

 Some time ago, someone wrote a book that popularized the title above, so I want to give credit to where credit is due. But the point was: life is about keeping the main thing, the one main thing.  Do you readily know your “main thing” in life?

 Our Master told us what he thinks our main thing should be:  God. Seek him first thing every day. First thing. David sought God in prayer three times a day… morning, noon and night. He is our salvation. He is our goal. He is our holiness. He has all power – for that matter – to make things go easier for us or he can refrain from smoothing out our paths.

 Yeshua said “seek FIRST the kingdom of God and HIS righteousness, and all these other things you worry about will be added to you.” (Paraphrased a bit from Matthew 6:33). 

 We get into trouble when things that are not the “main thing” get in front of what’s most important.  ARE you and I seeking the Kingdom of God FIRST thing, each day?  Look for the sermon about Eating your Daily Manna. 

 We’ve all heard the phrase, ‘Oh Martha, Martha”  In the story of Mary and Martha, two wonderful faith-filled sisters who supported Christ’s ministry. Martha had forgotten the main thing. She very understandably became overly concerned with getting dinner ready for everyone while her sister Mary was stuck in the room with the guys listening to Yeshua (the Hebrew name for Jesus). 

Many of you reading this, especially you ladies, would have to admit that many of you would be exactly like Martha. You’d be busy getting the appetizers, drinks, napkins out, and the main course meal all ready if this dinner was in your own home. You know you’d be no “better” than Martha! Nor would I! So what Yeshua says is of utmost importance. 

What did our Master say? How does that apply to us today? Are you and I keeping the main thing, the main thing – day after day?

I wonder if many of us even have our own “Main Thing” established in our lives.  Look at your life. What are the priorities in your life?  What are the things you and I have as “must do” items each day?  Are we any better than Martha? I’ll get to what Yeshua said in a moment. 

You know you certainly spend more TIME on other things than seeking after God and his word. Who gets more of your time – Facebook, or God? Which grabs more of your instant attention – your dumb cell phone or listening for God’s words for you? TV – or Bible study? 

And we excuse ourselves by saying we’re too busy to pray and study every day as the first thing we do. There are other pressing issues. Remember the warning in Yeshua’s parable of the wedding supper in Matthew 22. Those who were invited to the royal wedding of the King’s son had to go check out some land they had bought, or their new team of oxen, or the woman they were about to marry. Please read it again for yourself (Matthew 22:1-10). So others were invited, but they did the same thing. Finally the king pulled in anyone they could find – both good and bad. And the others had a bad ending. Go read it. It’s not just a cute story but a strong warning. 

I heard a report that the average 15-30 year old reads and responds to 1,500 texts a month! That’s at least 50 a day! Now add to that, any time we spend actively engaged in downright sinful activities. God forbid.  

What do you do when you first wake up and open your eyes? Sure, we all go to the bathroom. But after that what do you do? Yep, many of you grab your cell phone before all else to check what new texts await you, what’s the latest news, or new gossip is being offered or what the calendar says is on for the day. 

That’s NOT keeping the main thing the main thing. If that’s your pattern, please wake up. Don’t put God and his kingdom 2^nd, 3^rd, or 40^th in your life. 

You know I’m right – for many of you. I don’t even have my cell phone anywhere near my bed because I don’t want my cell phone to be my main thing. It IS the main thing for most people. I know people who can’t go shopping without the cell phone and will drive all the way back home first, as they’re lost without their cell phone. 

Put the cell phone down. Now pray. Then Study. And spend time with your wife or husband and go for a walk and leave your cell phone behind. Some of you just would refuse to do that. I say put it down, focus on relationships. Start with your relationship with God, then with your husband or wife, and your children. Relationships. That’s what life is all about and will always be what it’s about – not how much work you can accomplish. 

Yes, I’ve had to learn that too. So now my wife and I have daily time focused on each other in pickleball, or sitting out in the lanai and just enjoying each other, or going for walks around the block hand in hand, focused on each other. It wasn’t always that way and I almost lost my marriage. And my relationship with God too. So I had to wake up and keep the main thing the main thing. And now we’ll soon be happily celebrating our 46^th anniversary – when many didn’t give us much of a chance years ago. But more importantly, I want to be accepted by my Master and my Father. 

Oh that we would feel as “lost” if we were to start a day without communing with our Father and Savior each and every day, absolutely first thing every day. You know what happens otherwise: other things CROWD OUT God and seeking him and his word. 

Are you caught in that trap of seeking and spending time on worthless things – pursuits that won’t bring you eternal life? Are we missing out on building a closer bond with our Savior because the weeds and thorns of life’s distractions are choking the word of God?  

Do you remember the Parable of the Sower and how some seeds were prevented from growing and bearing fruit because the cares of this life were likened to weeds and thorns choking the word of God? See Matthew 13. “Cares of this life” can be the worries of this life as well as the pleasures of this life – anything that chokes out God’s word from being productive in us.

Matthew 13:22

“Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the Word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.”

Luke 8:14-15

“Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. 15 But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.”

Back to Mary and Martha. Notice Yeshua’s words to Martha. She was concerned with MANY things and missed the MAIN Thing. But her sister Mary was concerned with the ONE thing, the main thing, and she was commended. Mary sat at Jesus’ feet listening to His words. Remember there were no doubt thousands of stories that could have been told about Yeshua, but of all of those possible stories, only a few dozen are preserved for us today. This one story was important enough to be among those preserved for eternity – as so many of us, men and women alike, are “Marthas” so much of the time. Including me!

Luke 10:38-42

“Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me."

41 And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about MANY things. 42 But ONE thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."

If this were spoken today, he’d be mentioning some in the audience who were distracted by their dumb “smart phones” – as they would check for their latest FB notification, or email or twitter – even AS Yeshua was speaking. There’s a time and place for social media and smart phones. But there’s a time we should turn them off and focus on The Main Thing. 

Would YOU have been Mary in that situation, sitting at Yeshua’s feet, listening to the Master? Or seeking other priorities? 

I find it disgusting to see people in a restaurant unable to talk together because most are checking their cell phones instead. Table after table – the same thing. Are you like that? What have we come to? How about leaving at least one cell phone in the car and just focus on your spouse or family and the meal and talk – and listen. Focus on relationships! 

Please don’t make your cell phone more important than God. Roll out of bed, speak and listen to your Father, first thing every single day. Make that your new habit, if it’s not already. Let’s MAKE the main thing the main thing in our lives – and then KEEP the main thing the main thing.  

Get to bed early enough to get up early enough to once again sit “at Jesus’ feet and hear His word”. Get up early enough to open the Word of God, thank God for this daily time you devote to seeking Him and His Word. 

We’re too close now to the return of Yeshua our Messiah, our Beloved Master for us to be letting Satan distract us.

In case it’s still unclear to anyone: the main thing is seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness –Matthew 6:33 –and you’ll find you have lots of time for everything else. God smooths out our paths and opens doors when we put him first.

Proverbs 3:6  --“In ALL your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct (smooth out) your paths.”

And keep the main thing – The Main Thing.