Organizing the Inside – Day 120 Mary Made An Excellent Choice

January 1, 2012 at 12:00 pm · Filed under Encouragement, Inspiration, Organizing, Wisdom, Women's Ministry and tagged: Christianity, Martha, Religion and Spirituality

38As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. 40But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”

41But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”  ~Luke 10:38-42

Have you ever been so busy you lost track of time?
Martha was coming from a good place; she wanted to make her big dinner a success. She wanted all the details to be just right. Martha wore herself to the point of almost resenting her sister who wasn’t up working as she was.  She obviously had the gift of service and if you have ever known anyone with this gift, they are often not happy unless you pitch in (actually it’s hard for them to understand why you aren’t pressed to do so). The thought of all those detail that must get done wears on them, in a huge way, and unlike Mary; the person with the gift of service thinks that service is the best way to show the Lord how much you love Him.

Jesus explained the true priority.
Jesus made it clear that He wasn’t going to tell Mary to get up and help her sister. He told Martha that she was running around worrying about making everything just so, while Mary has chosen to do the one thing that is really worth being concerned about, and that was sitting at His feet, learning as He taught. Understanding the value in what Mary had chosen to do; Jesus explained, that He wasn’t about to tell her to do something else.

Celebrate the New Year and look ahead.
But be certain that you don’t focus too much attention on all the many details, creating misaligned priorities. 18The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, 19but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.
Mark 4:18, 19  I don’t suggest you to do away with your trusty “To Do” lists, where would we be without that, but what I am suggesting is that you remember Jesus’ teaching on the topic of “busy work.”  If you have the gift of service be mindful, and make sure you balance your gift by making spending quality time sitting at Jesus’ feet a priority. Also if you have the gift of mercy you too have to be careful, because you are most likely the one feeling sorry for Martha having to worry about all those details and quickly decide to jump in, and help her out so that she can feel better.

Scheduling time with the Lord is a great approach.
If you don’t already have a scheduled time to just sit at the feet of Jesus, and just listen as He teaches, set one. God is so flexible and is available anytime. So take a serious look at what time you can commit to and make spending time in His presence your top priority. Just like you schedule an important doctor’s appointment or a business meeting, although this appointment will be a daily one, put it on your calendar. There will always be time to carry out all those “non-essential” details. If you truly want success in the New Year, making God your number one priority is the best way to have all the success you could ever handle. (also read Matthew 6:33)

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