Margin: A Daily Necessity

SCRIPTURE:  “But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her,” Luke 10:41, 42

Margin is defined as “the space between our load and our limits that allows chosen things ‘in’; while boundaries (our limits) are established to keep things ‘out’.”  (Online definition by Google).  While many in western culture are no strangers to discussions about boundaries, those about the necessity of “margin” in our lives  have  fallen somewhat by the wayside.  It is a topic on which one Christian physician, a Dr. Richard Swenson, wrote extensively several years ago. Being careful to avoid leading what has been termed “a marginless life” is no less important for Christ followers today than it was a few decades  ago.  Our Savior recognized this need when He responded to the very harried, hassled, and exhausted Martha in today’s title verse.

As we can observe from Luke 10:41, 42, our Lord does not want us to ignore our daily responsibilities; rather, He desires that we respect the need for setting priorities in our days. Our lives, like it or not, have numerous limitations—those related to our time, energy, money, and even exposure to worthwhile social engagements.  It is futile and unwise for us to ignore these limitations.  Even the God-Man Christ Jesus, walking this earth in flesh, did not heal every one that was in need of the same!  Unless we discipline ourselves to major on the majors and give a lower priority to those things which have less significance, from an eternal point of view, we may find ourselves unnecessarily plagued by anxiety, stress, and fatigue,  and our most important relationships, and possibly even our health, physically and mentally, will suffer.

Our Savior God desires that we choose “that good part” by daily resisting the tyranny of what the world calls “the urgent” and learn to create balance in all the time and energy investments that attend this earthly life.

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, help us who know You to regularly do honest assessments about what matters most to You as it pertains to the special assignments You have specifically ordained for us in this temporal earthly life.  Please grant us Your ongoing wisdom and discernment.  Thank You, in Christ Jesus’ name; amen.
By Sis. Denise Diggs