When Jesus shows up at your door, what do you do? Do you kick into high gear, making sure everything is perfect? Or do you drop everything just to be with Him?

Hi everyone! I'm Paul Fowler, the Lake Forest Campus Pastor, and I'm excited to kick off this week's "Holy Habits" devotionals. We're diving into two essential—and seemingly opposite—practices: Sabbath and Service. And to help us understand the tension between them, we're going straight to a familiar story in Luke 10: the visit of Jesus to the home of Mary and Martha.

In this devotion, we explore:

The classic tension between "doing" and "being"—between structure and free time, between serving and resting.
Why Jesus gently corrects Martha, not because her service was bad, but because Mary had chosen "what is better."
The crucial distinction: Mary wasn't praised because sitting is better than serving. She was praised because she sat at the feet of Jesus when He was right there, speaking to her.
A simple framework for the week ahead: When is it time to sit in God's presence? And when is it time to serve in God's presence? Both are good. Both are necessary.

Whether you're a natural "Martha" who loves to get things done, or a natural "Mary" who cherishes quiet moments, this devotion will help you ask the right question: What is the Holy Spirit guiding me to embrace more fully in my walk with God right now?

Take a moment today to pray and ask God: Where do You want me to embrace rest? And where do You want me to embrace service?

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Mary or Martha? Choosing the Better Thing in a Busy World