Luke 10:38-42
I have read the
above verses many times. I have also heard many sermons preached about Mary and
Martha. I have read about how the two women had very different approaches to
Jesus’s visit to their homes. In these verses Martha is frantically running
around her home trying to get everything perfect for Jesus’s visit, and upset
that Mary is not helping her with all the work. Mary is not concerned with all
of the work her sister is trying to accomplish her only concern is spending
time with Jesus, and taking in every word he says.
I have read
through these verses many times, but as I read through them the other day, I
realized… I am Martha. As I read Jesus’s response to Martha, it was as if he
was speaking those words directly to me.
“You are
worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed- or indeed only
one.”
You are
upset about worried and upset about many things…
I began to
think about all of the things that worry and upset me, and all of the times I
have allowed those things to distract me. I began to think about all of the
times I have stressed about things that do not really matter. I remembered
sitting down to play with my son, and thinking to myself, “IF only he would
have took a longer nap I could have gotten more things around the house done.”
Instead of enjoying my time with him, I was thinking about all of the housework
that I was not getting done. I thought of all the times, I have neglected God
because of my to-do list, not reading my bible or praying that day, because I had
more important things that I needed to get done.
Then I
realized…. I need to get my priorities
straight! My house work, chores, and endless to-do lists, will always be
there, but my son will grow up, and he will not always want to spend time with his
mommy. I need to enjoy my times with him, and not worry so much about
everything that needs to get done. I must never forget that being a mommy is
the most important job I will ever have.
There will never be anything on my to-do
list that is more important than spending time with God. God should always be
my number 1 priority. I should always make time for reading my bible, praying,
and worshiping God, regardless of how many things I need to get done.
Today I make the decision to release all of my little
worries and stresses over to God. He can certainly handle all of these a lot better than I can.
All of my worrying and stressing has never changed anything, for the better. All
it has ever done is made me worried, stressed out, and unable to face
situations calmly. With God in control
of my life, there is really nothing for me to worry about, anyway. Today I have
made the decision I will no longer be Martha. I will no longer waste time
stressing and fretting about things that do not matter. Life is far too short for that! Today I have made the decision to
be Mary. I will spend more time sitting at Jesus’s feet taking in his words. I
will spend more time focusing on the important things in life, and not worry
about the things that are not really important.
