Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” — Luke 10:38-42
Back on Day 3, I asked you to look at how you spend your time and energy, and if you are too busy. I asked you to look at why you spend your time the way you do. In some cases, you are caring for children, or elderly parents, or are in a profession that is on the front lines right now.
Then I wrote, “But consider whether you have fallen into the trap of glorifying busyness. Society tells us we are important if we have a jam-packed schedule. Being exhausted is a point of pride. But at what cost? Has God become someone to schedule in when convenient, or is He the center?”
That brings us to Mary and Martha. Martha’s issue was not that she was preparing a meal, but that she overdid it. “Anxious and troubled” has a connotation of a whirlwind. Instead of serving the first-century version of sandwiches and chips, Martha worked herself up into a frenzy over the meal and got mad at her sister for not joining her in her anxiety. “Can’t you see how busy I am? Make Mary help me!” The “good portion” Mary chose was to put Jesus at the center rather than overdoing it. It was customary to offer a meal to guests, but it did not have to be a big production.
Are you too busy? Do you like being too busy? Do you equate a busy schedule with success? What can be removed or delegated? Do you have to do everything you are doing?
To Think/Pray About Today
Where is God in your schedule? Is everything you do an outpouring of your relationship with God or is He penciled in somewhere? As you pray over your schedule each day, listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps God is nudging you to make changes.
Prayer Focus: Cedarville Public Library
Cedarville United Presbyterian Church 