Sitting at His Feet

by Mary Southerland | | 12 comments

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Every moment of every day is focused on someone or something. We either set the focus through which we live, or we allow it to be set for us. A balanced life is focused on God as a result of sitting at His feet.

What does it mean to “sit at the feet of Jesus”? First, we must stop. The lives of Mary and Martha are great examples of this truth. Mary stopped helping Martha in the kitchen to sit at the feet of Jesus. Martha complained that she had been left to do all of the work while her sister was wasting time. There will always be someone who misunderstands or complains when you choose to do what Jesus told Martha was “the better part.”

“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,’ 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’” (Luke 10:40-42 NIV).

Notice the word “chosen.” Mary made a choice, and so must we. Choosing to sit at the feet of Jesus requires decisive planning and willful determination. It’s amazing to me how I can squander away the best part of my day, leaving Him with the leftovers of time, and then complain that my life is powerless.

Are you desperate for the peace and balance only He can bring? Then it’s time to take inventory of the demands on your time and begin sitting at His feet.

Being wrapped up in God’s work can easily become a shabby substitute for being wrapped up in His presence. The paradox is that we can only be wrapped up in God’s presence when we stop and learn how to wait on Him. While I hate to wait on anyone or for anything, I am learning that there is a divine purpose and sacred power available to us in every waiting room of life.

Waiting robs me of control. I am forced to face the unknown. Waiting on God may provide the catalyst that will change my life course. In each waiting room, He is at work preparing me for the circumstance and the circumstance for me.

“Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly” (Psalm 5:3 NLT). From those still, quiet moments of waiting comes a sacred balance that takes root and grows.

We not only must stop and be still in order to sit at the feet of Jesus, but we must also learn to listen. Deuteronomy 30:20 instructs us with these words: “Listen to His (God’s) voice and hold fast to Him. For the Lord is your life.” I know many voices clamor for our attention. The key to a balanced life is to teach our spiritual ears to listen for His voice above all the others.

I taught third grade while Dan attended seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. My class was one of seven third-grade classes in the school, which meant the first few days of school were always chaotic. The PE teacher gave teachers a break when she took the students to the playground. After PE, it was the responsibility of each teacher to pick up her students.

Seven teachers were trying to get the attention of over 200 students. After a few days, an amazing thing happened. It took only a word or two from teachers for the kids to come running. They recognized the voice of their new teacher above all the rest because they listened to her voice all day long in the classroom. We must do the same. In every circumstance, we need to listen for His voice.

Sitting at the feet of Jesus resets our life focus and helps us win the battle for balance. After we have been still before Him, we will be empowered to embrace a life of balance.

Let’s Pray

Father, help me learn to sit at Your feet and be in Your presence. Teach me how to discipline my steps and invest my time in a way that pleases You. I surrender my agenda and every priority to You.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

What areas of your life are out of balance? Choose one area and plan to bring it into balance. Recruit a friend to hold you accountable.

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© 2022 by Mary Southerland. All rights reserved.

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