Martha's mistake was not that she served. The role of servant suits every Christian perfectly. "I serve" should be the motto stamped on every prince in heaven's royal family. Nor was it wrong that she had much serving to do. We cannot serve too much! Let every part of us—mind, heart, and hands—be thrown into the Master's work.

It was no fault of Martha's that she busied herself preparing a feast for the Lord. Happy Martha! What an opportunity to entertain such a blessed guest. And blessed, too, to have the heart to throw her whole soul so completely into the task.

No, her fault was this: she became so tangled up in much serving that she forgot the One she was serving. She remembered only the work and forgot the Lord of the work. She let service push out communion, and so she offered one duty stained with the blood of another.

We ought to be Martha and Mary rolled into one. We should serve much and commune much, both at the same time. And for this, we need great grace.

Here's the hard truth: it's easier to serve than to commune. Joshua never grew weary fighting the Amalekites all day long. But Moses? Up on the mountain in prayer, he needed two men to hold up his arms. The more spiritual the exercise, the quicker we tire out. The choicest fruit is hardest to grow. The most heavenly graces are the most difficult to cultivate.

Beloved, yes, tend to the external things. They're good in themselves. But see to it that you enjoy living, breathing, personal fellowship with Jesus. See to it that sitting at the Savior's feet doesn't get pushed aside—not even under the noble-sounding excuse of serving him.

The first thing for your soul's health, the first thing for his glory, and the first thing for your actual usefulness is this: keep yourself in perpetual communion with the Lord Jesus. Guard the vital spirituality of your faith over and above everything else in this world.