Martha v. Mary
Luke 10:41
But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one.”
Can you guess what the one thing is that is necessary? It is our time with the Lord Jesus, of course. You probably remember this story. Martha is busy hustling around the house preparing food and accommodations for Jesus and his disciples. While Martha was busy serving the Lord, her sister Mary just sat at his feet listening to him. Martha was incensed and approached Jesus about it so that he would reprimand Mary and make her help Martha with all of the work. Surprise, surprise . . . Jesus didn’t do as expected. Instead he said that Mary had chosen the good part and it would not be taken away from her. I’ve always pictured Jesus shaking his head as he says, “Martha, Martha.” Can’t you just hear his tone of voice?
As you know, last week I struggled with my calendar. By Wednesday morning I was already exhausted from my striving. So, I put down my devotional and just started talking to the Father. He said to me, “Ivey, you are worried about many things. You have become like Martha. Yes, there is always work to do but there is only one thing that is important.” “Wait Dad! Did you really just call me a Martha?” I have always imagined myself at Jesus feet drinking in every word which proceeds from his mouth but here was my Father saying that I am acting like Martha rather than like Mary.
You see, I had allowed all the things I am doing for Jesus to become my duty, my job. I wasn’t praying, meditating, journaling and reading my Bible out of love any more. Each one of those items had become another item on my “To Do” list. I was quickly falling into the trap that so many people do. We become bogged down in the things to do, even those things that we do in service to the Lord that we partition him from our experience. “I’m working so hard for you Lord that I don’t have time for you.” Well, that needed to be corrected immediately and fortunately Dad did. He said to tune my heart to Him the very first thing in the morning and He would fill me and that together we would get it all done. And do you know something, He was right. I had begun to let my calendar and my “To Do’s” run me and they were cruel task masters. Everything became just one more thing that I needed to do and there was no joy left in it.
So I listened to Dad’s advice and the rest of the week I got everything on my schedule done and never once got stressed about it. I actually did more in less time at the end of the week than I did by pressing so hard in the first part of the week. I am beginning to think that Jesus really knew what he was talking about when he spoke to Martha. Just turn your face to him, the one important matter, and he will make everything else work for you.
This is the way Jesus walked in the earth. He began his day by tuning into the Father and then he just stayed in that connectedness all day. Isn’t this what we all want, to learn to walk in the earth the way Jesus did? Well, it begins by just starting your day connecting with your spirit and with the Spirit inside of you. Now my calendar is a good, stable structure for my day but it isn’t my Lord. God leads me through my schedule one step at a time and I am able to maintain that sense of calm that comes from the Holy Spirit.
There is only one thing that is needful and that is our time with the Lord. If your devotion is becoming an idol instead of worship, move it to the side for a day. If your prayers are a duty rather than a joyful meeting with your best friend, then change gears. When you do, Father will restore the joy and the anointing to those things. No matter what you have to do in a day, begin it with the lord in personal communion with him and I believe you will find your days flowing much more smoothly.
