START YOUR DAY RIGHT DAILY DEVOTION
(KJV) Mark 3:14
He appointed twelve[a] that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach
Spending Time with Jesus: Why Being Comes Before Doing
In our fast-paced, results-driven world, it is incredibly easy to measure our worth by our productivity. Even within the church, we often fall into the trap of measuring our spiritual health by how much we are doing for God. We preach, we teach, we volunteer, and we organize. But in the middle of all our busyness, a critical question remains: Are we actually spending time with the One we are serving?
In Mark 3:14, we find a profound blueprint for discipleship that flips our modern priorities upside down:
“He appointed twelve – designating them apostles – that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach.”
Notice the precise order of Jesus’ commands. He did not call the twelve disciples and immediately send them out into the streets to preach. Before they were sent out to do anything, they were called to be with Him.
Here are three transformative truths we can draw from this short but powerful verse.
1. The Primary Call is Presence, Not Performance
The very first priority of a disciple—a disciplined learner and devoted follower of Christ—is simply to “be with” Jesus. Our primary calling is to develop a deep, close, personal relationship with Him.
While serving God’s purposes involves instruction, preparation, and the practice of various ministries, these actions must never happen in a vacuum. They must overflow from the time we spend in His presence. Anyone who desires to serve Christ must first learn to practice His presence daily. As we see later in Acts 4:13, when the religious leaders saw the courage of Peter and John, they were astonished because they recognized these ordinary men “had been with Jesus.” Our time with Him should leave a mark that the world can see.
2. Service Flows From Sympathy and Sensitivity
Out of a deep, intimate relationship with Christ comes the spiritual sensitivity and power needed to effectively minister to others. Jesus spent unhurried time modeling truth, love, and grace to His disciples. Only after they had been with Him did He send them out to preach His message.
When we try to serve God without spending time with Him, we quickly burn out. We become cynical, tired, and relying on our own strength. But when we prioritize intimacy with Christ, our ministry becomes a natural overflow of His love working through us. We begin to see people the way He sees them, and we love them with His heart.
3. Spiritual Authority Requires Spiritual Closeness
Jesus sent the twelve out to preach a message that was to be proven with power—accompanied by signs of healing and authority over spiritual darkness. Where does that kind of authority come from? It cannot be manufactured by human talent, eloquence, or strategy. It comes solely from being with Jesus and knowing Him deeply.
Our public activity for God must always come after our private intimacy with God. If we want to see lives transformed, chains broken, and hearts healed through our ministries, we must first anchor our souls in the secret place of prayer and fellowship with our Savior.
The Invitation Today
Jesus is not looking for employees to simply execute tasks; He is looking for companions to share His life with. Today, before you jump into your to-do list for God, take a moment to sit at His feet. Let your doing flow from your being.
A Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the beautiful reminder today that You do not just call us to work for You, but You invite us to walk with You. Forgive us for the times we have let our busyness crowd out our intimacy with You. Forgive us for trying to do Your work in our own strength.
Help us, Lord, to prioritize simply being in Your presence. Teach us to sit at Your feet, to listen to Your voice, and to know Your heart deeply. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit so that whenever we are sent out to speak, act, or serve, it would be a pure overflow of our relationship with You. May our lives reflect that we have been with Jesus.
In Jesus’ powerful name we pray, Amen.
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Some of our Post That Might Interest You, All Out of the Current Book / Chapter
- HEALED MANY / MARK 3:10-12
- HERODIANS / MARK 3:6
- LOOKED … IN ANGER / MARK 3:5
- THE SABBATH WAS MADE FOR MAN / MARK 2:27-28
- SABBATH / MARK 2:23
- NEW WINE INTO OLD WINESKINS / MARK 2:22
- ON THAT DAY THEY WILL FAST / MARK 2:20
- TO CALL … SINNERS / MARK 2:17
- HEALING THE PARALYZED MAN / MARK 2:11
- SON OF MAN / MARK 2:10
- DROVE OUT MANY DEMONS / MARK 1:34
- EVIL SPIRITS OBEY HIM /MARK 1:27
- SYNAGOGUE / MARK 1:21
- COME FOLLOW ME / MARK 1:17
- KINGDOM OF GOD / MARK 1:15
- THE GOOD NEWS / MARK 1:14
- TEMPTED BY SATAN / MARK 1:13
- MY SON, WHOM I LOVE / MARK 1:11
- THE SPIRIT DESCENDING ON HIM / MARK 1:10
- JESUS WAS BAPTIZED / MARK 1:9
- BAPTIZE YOU WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT / MARK 1:8
- THE WHOLE JUDEAN COUNTRYSIDE / MARK1:5
- BAPTISM OF REPENTANCE / MARK 1:4
- THE BEGINNING OF THE GOSPEL / MARK 1:1-3
- CREWS N AWAY: ANCHORED IN GRACE
Thanks for stopping by the blog today! I love having you here. If this post resonated with you, please drop a comment below and share your thoughts. See you in the next post!
Blessings, Margarita & Stace
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