And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things but one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her. Luke 10.41-42
Jesus was visiting a village and Martha invited him to the house she shared with her sister Mary. Before we berate Martha for being too busy to spend time with Jesus, let’s take a moment to celebrate some qualities she displayed. Not many people are friendly and would go out of their way to host strangers in their home. The art of hospitality is gradually dying out with our eccentric, selfish and self-centred generation. And even if we hosted anyone, we would be looking for what we would gain from such a meeting. Has the Lord been speaking to you about opening your home and inviting others to share in what He has given you?
We are not told Martha ran quickly to the shops to get the ingredients to prepare this meal. It seemed that as soon as Jesus got in their home, she went straight to preparing this buffet of meals. If that was the case, she must have been so organised and may have a made it a habit to have a stash of food items, always ready to invite other travelling strangers. It could also have been an impulsive decision where she was unprepared with no food at home besides an untidy house and it was overwhelming to clean, shop and cook for the guests each time. Whichever the case may be, she was a ‘doer’. Not many have the capacity to get things done, they are great at watching others or might complain about what needs to be done but they will never lift a finger to do anything themselves.
Martha cried out to Jesus about doing everything herself with no support from her sister, it was obvious that her objective for inviting Jesus to their home was different from Jesus’ motive and plan for accepting her invitation. And I wonder if this might be our predicament, doing so much for the Lord either to prove to ourselves or others that we can serve the Lord or from a posture of insecurity and striving in our own strength when God simply wants a relationship with us. Sadly, many are serving a God they have no relationship with!
Here are a few tell-tale signs you may be doing too much like Martha: Restlessness (inability to be still or remain calm), hypersensitivity (no capacity to cope with stressful situations or unplanned changes), isolation (inability to work in teams and exhausted doing it all alone), workaholism (when our identity isn’t about who we are in God but wrapped up in what we do), excessive irritability (inability to bear with others and a lack of empathy), misplaced priorities (being all things to all men or people pleasing), emotional numbness (inability to tell when it’s time to slow down or take a break for oneself or others) and no spiritual disciplines (too busy to worship, pray and study God’s word)
Is God interested in grumpy, angry, irritable servants who struggle with burnout and lack the wisdom to take some time away to refuel and recharge? It might seem like the ‘downtime’ from service is a waste of time but Jesus often withdrew to spend time with the Father and encouraged His disciples to ‘come awhile and rest’. God’s work will go on with or without us but we run the risk of not completing our assignments if we are too weak or ill. It wasn’t long before the lunch Martha had planned left a bitter taste in her mouth, she couldn’t wait for Jesus to leave her home while seething in so much anger towards her sister.
Why did Jesus say Mary had chosen the best part? Was cooking and cleaning bad tasks to be completed? Was he not appreciative of Martha’s invitation and service to Him? While one sister pursued rest and a relationship with Jesus, the other might desperately be looking for some recognition or reward. What are our priorities as we serve the Lord? If we look to the applause and validation of others as we serve the Lord, it won’t be long before we are exhausted and frustrated. But if our relationship with the Lord is more important than what we do for Him, we have a well to draw strength from when life doesn’t go as planned.
Mary leaves us an example, unperturbed by the complaints and nagging by her sister. She had found what was important to and didn’t want anyone taking that away from her. Many have been cajoled and convinced by others to abandon their position of rest, relationship with Jesus and the pursuit of purpose to chase after what’s temporal and fading. They may appear to be busy, famous and closing out several projects but they have long since abandoned their race and are running in other people’s lanes. They may profess to be Christians in name only but they are disconnected and detached from the Lord
What is getting in the way of my devotion to the Lord? Who or what is taking my focus off the Lord? Why is spending time in worship, prayer and the study of the word of God so difficult or challenging? What could I do to reduce the many distractions to enable a closer relationship with the Lord this year? What can I eliminate from my schedule to enable me sit at Jesus’ feet regularly? What lies has the enemy told me about staying busy and pursuing the applause of others? What is God’s assessment of my relationship with Him?
When we don’t spend considerable and regular time with the Lord, we run the risk of serving God in vain, going off on our own and doing our own thing while God isn’t a part of it. Sadly, many are lost on journeys God never approved, expending so much energy, effort and resources. Oh that our hearts will long to be still before the Lord, listening daily to His voice, enjoying the comfort of His presence and being refreshed by just spending time with Him. Jesus longs for a relationship with us, will we make it happen? Could we be worried and troubled about what’s unimportant to the Lord?