Luke 10:40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.
If the order doesn’t matter then we have a combination, if the order matters then we have a permutation. One can say that a permutation is an ordered combination. Martha had bread baking in the oven, lamb roasting in the fire and gravy reheating in the microwave while Jesus was preaching life-giving words in the lounge. It was Martha who invited the Chief Guest Jesus to have a Bible study at her home. However, she was more involved in the food preparation than listening or conversing with Jesus. To Martha, the sumptuous supper after the sermon was more important than the vitalizing words of the Saviour. It was only a few days before this meeting did Jesus feed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread and two fishes. All that Martha had to do was to bring the dinner that she had prepared for her family to the table and Jesus would have multiplied and fed the physical hunger of the crowd who had gathered in her house. When the physical pangs overrule the spiritual hunger, there will be a disarrangement of priorities and preferences. Hence preferences without priorities are a disordered combination.
Rushing to our messages on Whatsapp, instagram, FaceBook or emails as soon as we wake up rather than resting in the presence of the Lord are unkempt spiritual lifestyle. Including God, Bible reading and prayer somewhere in our busy life is like salting the fish after it is fried. The fish will be edible but will lack flavour. An ordered combination or a prioritised permutation of spiritual, social and work life balance is essential to have a successful, purposeful and victorious life.
The permutation for priorities over preferences:
1. Preferences: Early morning prayer, eating healthy or exercising are normally not on our preference list. Preferences are normally driven by our emotions; it was what we want, think or feel. Jesus was not condemning Martha for the elaborate meal that she was preparing, He was only correcting her to prioritise her spiritual food over physical pangs. Household work or business deals are important but they are not more important than our quiet time and prayer time with God.
2. Priorities: In order to say “yes” to your priorities you have to be willing to say “no” to something else. We might have to say no to people, parties or entertainment in order to prioritize and progress in the pathway to success. Spiritual progress is the door that opens to a holistic success in life.
3. Protocols: Permutations (ordered combination of priorities) are spiritual protocols. Psalms 5:3 In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice. It is not that God becomes deaf once the sun comes up, but our spiritual hearing dampens once we become involved and engrossed in the chores of life. Spiritual protocol puts God first, family second before anything or anyone.
Spiritual permutations are orderly priorities, preferences, protocols and combinations.
Psalm 63:1-5 O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You, my flesh faints for You, in a dry and thirsty land with no water.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, teach me your divine protocols and permutations to priorities You before my preferences, distractions and appointments. Amen
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