Just one thing is needed

Your calling as a Christian is not to do something.  It is to belong fully to Christ.

Out of that love connection, that abiding in Him, He will give you plenty to do!  

But I believe that most Christians are acting out of a sense of obligation, duty, or even to look good before others.

When God purifies our hearts, He purifies our motives.  How?  Because His motives are at work in and through and coming out of us.  Remember, none of us have anything at all of any good to offer Christ, or anyone else, in and of ourselves.  I realize this is a blow to your pride.  Oh well.

Maybe the Scripture about wood, hay, and stubble doesn't matter to you.  You figure that you're "in" anyway with God, so just keep working works no matter if He is in them or not.

But why settle for the Cracker Jack ring of tin when God has gold works for us to do?

We must step out of the way.  This is a nice way of saying:  we must die.  

Die to pride.
Die to self-rightousness.
Die to showing off before others.
Die to flesh.
Die to doing the "right" things but apart from the power of God.
Die to caring what others think of us.
Die to believing we are "good" people.
Die to defending ourselves.
Die to our idea of God and actually get to know the real God.

Remember, when the devil can't get you to do outright evil, he is happy to use "good" in your life as long as it keeps you from an abiding relationship with Christ.

How do you know when you are acting of your own volition and not following the Spirit's lead?

Re-read the list above.  If any or all of these are in your heart and life, then you are acting apart from the Holy Spirit. 

It's easy to do.  The church applauds the Marthas of the flock.  But Jesus didn't.  Jesus said flat out to Martha that her sister, Mary, did the better part.  What part was that?  Simply sitting at His feet.  Being with Him.  Adoring Him.  Worshiping Him.

Mary wanted to be with Jesus - have a relationship with Him.  That is the better part, dear ones.

Was Martha totally off base?  After all, someone's got to get the grub on the table!  But where was Martha's heart?  Remember, it is always and forever about our hearts with God.  No exceptions.  Ever.

So Martha could have joyfully been cooking away, serving, for Jesus. But she wasn't joyful at all.  How do we know?  Her heart was revealed when she said this:

"But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

Martha, Martha.  Oh Martha!  We can't all be as "good" as you now, can we?  Talk about pride!  As if her way of doing and being were superior to her wiser sister's way.  

But Jesus lovingly set Martha straight.  

“'Martha, Martha,' the Lord answered, 'you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.'”

Does Jesus need to set you straight, like He did Martha?

"But others won't think I'm contributing!"  "How will it get done if I don't do it?"  "I'm too busy to just sit at Jesus' feet.  I've got work to do!"

All of these rebuttals are just all kinds of wrong.  Do you see it?  If not, then I pray that our dear, sweet Jesus reveals to you what you need to see and know.

I can't remember which of the saints of old said it, but he or she said something like, "The Lord has plenty of workers.  But He wants lovers."

Yes, the harvest is so ripe and the laborers few.  Please don't quote Scripture back at me that I already know.

But how are we laboring?  Why are we laboring?  Jesus cares about the how and why, trust me.

The paradox is, is that when we take the time to simply gaze on Jesus, sit and be with Him, let Him minister to us as we worship Him, we will go about doing His works that He prepared in advance for us to do.  But it won't be out of self or flesh!  Icky poo!

No.  It will be filled with His grace, His love, His motives, His image stamped all over it.

So if you are already a Mary, praise the Lord.  And if you a Martha, praise the Lord, too - but be with Him before you get to baking the cake, tidying up, etc., etc.  

Get with Jesus.  Just sit and be with Him.  I promise you will be amazed at all He reveals to you, and the peace and grace and love and joy that will fill your soul.  You might even forget about your to-do list because you find such peace and contentment in His Presence.  

Oh if we only had more Marys in Christendom, I believe even more work, and holier, purified work, would get done for the Kingdom!

Oh dear Lord.  I love just being with You.  But sometimes, I don't take enough time.  I'm too busy making requests of You, coming to You with what I think matters most.  But when I do take the time to just be with You, sit at Your feet, my needs are met: then and there.  Because there is nothing else in all the universe like the beauty of Your Presence.  I pray for whoever is reading this, sweet Lord, that they would realize how much You just want to be with them, have a relationship with them, and let You love them.  And out of that, I pray You would do works through them as never before.  I love You, Lord.  Thank You for never giving up on me and for wanting to always be close to me.  It is humbling and I never want to take this privilege for granted.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.