Even within the church, many have a tendency of putting in many hours of work. Part of this has to do with being people pleasers. As Christians, we do our best not to let our church families down. While God does call each of us into a ministry, He does not want us spinning out of control. Think of the difference between Mary and Martha, probably the best known sisters in the Bible. Luke and John both describe these two sisters as friends of Jesus, and we also know that they were sisters of Lazarus, the man who Jesus raised from the dead. Though both women loved Jesus immensely, they had different relationships with Him. Through this story, God gives us an example of the kind of relationship that He desires with each of us.
38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”
41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:38:42
What does it mean to be “distracted with much serving?” How can serving the Lord be a distraction? We all know what it feels like to develop habits. While not all habits are bad, even the good habits can involve much mindless repetition. Martha had a guest in her home, and while He was a guest she knew very well, she still felt obligated to ensure that everything was perfect. Who knows what task kept her busy, but it could have been cooking, cleaning or even serving a meal. She was angry at Mary, her sister, who instead of assisting with the chores, sat at the feet of Jesus.
Each of us have tasks in our lives, ones that we feel obligated to accomplish, that can take away from the time we should be devoting to the Lord. Just like Martha, sometimes those tasks even can be ones we feel like we are doing for the Lord. Brother Lawrence, who served as a monk in a Carmelite monastery in Paris in the 17th century, wrote a book entitled, “The Practice of the Presence of God.” Brother Lawrence marvelously mastered the ability to worship God joyfully in the most menial of tasks, and as the title so aptly says, it takes practice! Yet never lose sight of the example God gave to each of us after He created the world in six days. He rested. He wasn’t tired, but He knew that we needed His example.
Many followers of God still have different ideas of what day the Sabbath should occur. To me, it doesn’t really matter what day you rest, but honor the Lord and His commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy. That commandment is for our benefit in so many ways. In addition to needing a day to spend with the Lord, we also need a day to rest our weary bones. As I age while working a physical job, I cannot imagine how I could start each week all over again without that rest. Martha desired to serve the Lord, and worked hard to show Jesus exactly that, but Mary took the time to sit at His feet. That is where He wants us, as without that intimacy, we are just spinning our wheels.
Do you really want to serve Jesus? He places each of us into a ministry to perform for Him, yet He never places us where we cannot rest. As Simon and Garfunkel told us, “Slow down, you move to fast, you’ve got to make the morning last.”
Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”
John 6:27
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