Make Time for What Matters at Christmas

[Make Time for What Matters at Christmas]( Current Teaching Series [Jesus Came to Light Up Your Life]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [Make Time for What Matters at Christmas]( By Rick Warren — 12/19/2023 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= “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 10:41-42 (NIV) This Christmas, consider doing less, not more. By simplifying your life, you’ll have more enjoyment, more fulfillment, and less stress. At one of the busiest times of the year, we need to make sure we’re filling our calendars, our minds, and our hearts with what’s important—not trivial things that won’t even matter in five years, much less for eternity. The trivial things I’m talking about are not evil things. You can fill your life with good things that keep you from spending time with God. You can be involved in ministry all the time and be so busy working for God that you don’t leave God any time to work in you. An example of this can be seen in Mary and Martha, who were sisters and also friends of Jesus. One day they invited him to their home for a meal. Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, listening to his teaching. Martha was busy worrying about the food and making sure everything was in place. Doesn’t that sound like Christmas? You spend months buying and wrapping gifts, decorating the house, putting up the lights, fixing the tree, sending out cards, preparing meals, and planning parties. Then, when Christmas arrives, you realize you were so busy with the preparation that you didn’t make any time for Jesus. “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). Mary knew there was one thing worth her time: getting to know the Son of God. Nothing else will matter in eternity. God didn’t put you on earth just to work and then retire. He wants you to get to know him. My wish for you this Christmas is that you would stop, take a breath, and shift your focus to the one thing [PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>]( Talk It Over - What are some “good things” that grab your attention and keep you from focusing on growing your relationship with God? - Society says you must accomplish a long list of tasks every day in order to be successful. What does the Bible say about that? - What is a new Christmas tradition you can start this year that will help you focus more on Jesus during this season? The post [Make Time for What Matters at Christmas]( appeared first on [Pastor Rick's Daily Hope](. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= [Get the Daily Hope Prayer Journal when you give a gift to support Daily Hope!]( God uses your generous support to reach people around the world with the hope of Jesus through Daily Hope—and for a limited time, your gift will be doubled thanks to a $100,000 Matching Grant! And we’ll say thanks for your generosity by sending you a powerful tool to give your prayer life a boost in the year ahead—the brand-new Daily Hope Prayer Journal! This year’s theme, Experiencing God’s Peace will help you tap into God’s power and presence as you discover the keys to praying with passion and purpose. Featuring a soft-touch cover and 235 beautifully designed pages, this journal brings you over 150 life-changing Bible verses, stunning photos, and beautiful artwork. You’ll discover how to have a more vibrant prayer life, connect with the Lord, and establish a consistent daily prayer time. [GIVE NOW]( [Complete Audio Series (Purchase)]( Includes 3 full-length message from Pastor Rick's series Jesus Came to Light Up Your Life. [LEARN MORE]( [Series Summary]( Message 1: When God Changes Your Plans Message 2: Jesus Came to Light Up Your Life Message 3: The Purpose of Christmas [PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST]( Pastor Rick Warren [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Linkedin]( Enjoy today's devotional? Listen to Pastor Rick’s daily audio teaching at [PastorRick.com]( Did someone forward this devotional to you? [Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional.]( Rick Warren is the founding pastor of [Saddleback Church]( one of America’s largest and most influential churches. Pastor Rick is the author of the New York Times bestseller [The Purpose Driven Life](. His book [The Purpose Driven Church]( was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th century. Pastor Rick created [The PEACE Plan]( to address the five global giants—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through the power of ordinary people in the local church. His Daily Hope broadcast and daily devotionals are offered around the world. You can listen to the broadcast or sign up for the free devotionals at [PastorRick.com](. © 2023 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe by clicking the link below. Sent to: {EMAIL} [Unsubscribe]( Pastor Rick's Daily Hope, PO Box 80448, Rancho Santa Margarita, California 92688, United States