“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” – Luke 10:41-21
Jesus was visiting the house of Martha and Mary. Martha was getting things in order. Cooking the food, picking up the house, cleaning the floors – all the details that you would expect. Mary was sitting and listening to Jesus.
If I were Martha, I would have been frosted. lazy Mary sitting around and listening.
I am busy. busy doing things. Good things. Trying my best to build a community of Christ followers on cause. There are tons of details, countless meetings, loads of “stuff.” But it is all secondary. My heart knows that. Sometimes I have a hard time living it out. God is not found in the doing or in the preparation, or in the details; he is found in the listening. There is a time for everything but if all I am doing is the busy work of the kingdom, I am out of balance. Why?
Everything else will be taken away. I will one day not have the details to do, the meetings to attend. It will one day fade. It should. It is not as good as listening to the Father.
God, help me begin to fade out of some of the doing and into more of the listening. Thanks for letting me hear from you. I want to continue to know what is on your heart and mind for this time in history. Give me the wisdom to chose the better.
[tags]listening-to-God, Martha, Mary, God, Jesus, devotions, life-journaling[/tags]
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Scott Aikin
11 Jan 2007It\’s funny how they\’re switched (who\’s doing the \”better\” thing) in the death of Lazarus\’ story.
I find this one hard because when the mother-in-law is healed, she goes and prepares and makes things and Jesus isn\’t upset there. It\’s difficult to decide when to sit and when to do.
Father, indeed — please help us to choose when to do and when to sit. When to know to do either one. Let us not see either as better, but each as necessary at points in time. Help us to do as Your Son did. Help us to let the Holy Spirit guide us in wisdom. Amen.