I want to thank Martha for taking the heat on an issue that I struggle with. And I think it really just hit me that I relate to her so well. You know the story right? Well, here it is, just in case.
“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But 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 only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
I thought about this last week, but this story didn’t hit me until last night. I’m Martha. I’d like to be Mary, but I’m Martha. I’m Martha because when it comes to service or ministry, I’m just like her. I get worried and upset about many things. I worry about getting to all my meetings on time. I worry about making sure everything gets done thats supposed to get done. I worry about preparing sermons, preparing lessons, preparing for counseling sessions, preparing for tomorrow, preparing my kids for school. All this preparing I do.
But Jesus lesson is simple and pointed. All these things are things we can get worried and upset over. But really there’s only one thing that we need to make sure we are “worried about.” In this context – sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening to him. In the sermon on the mount, he taught the same lesson in “outline” form. I just read again, Matthew 6:25-34 and the last two verses strike me with relevance once again, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
As I work on simplifying things for the my good friends, brothers and sisters at Crossroads, I really should work on simplifying things for myself!
Any thoughts: How would simplifying your life make a difference? What would have to go? What would you begin doing that you don’t already do?
