“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her. (Luke 10:41-42)
Every morning, while it’s still dark outside, I drag myself out of bed. And, every morning, I have the same fight with myself. Do I grab my Bible and sit down to study and pray? Or do I open up my laptop and try to get as much work done as possible while it’s still quiet? One will nourish my soul while the other will satisfy that part of me that is perpetually trying to check things off of a to do list.
I don’t think there is a person alive who has not struggled with this choice. There is the side of us that is concerned with earthly, practical things. And the side that cares about faith-based, and some would say impractical, things. Mary and Martha exemplified both of these sides.
But while we might work hard to make that choice, as I do each bleary-eyed morning, the answer is already before us. Jesus made it clear that what Martha was concerned with, the cleaning and preparation for him and his disciples, was not really needed. What her sister was doing, listening to his words and teachings? That was the right thing to do.
Ouch. How many of us scramble around, busy with things that don’t really matter, and put off what does. There really shouldn’t be a choice every morning for me, but I’m trying to quench something inside myself with my busyness that really only God can satisfy. Mary knew this, but Martha was still coming to terms with it. Aren’t we all?
So as you go into your week, remember to put aside time to feed your soul. Spend some quiet time in prayer, preparing yourself for the challenges ahead and thanking Him for the blessings you already have. Set that to do list aside for just a little longer.
There’s a little Martha and Mary in all of us. How we choose to balance the two will make all the difference. So go ahead and throw in that load of laundry, check your email, straighten up. But take some God time for yourself first. Sometimes we can’t help but be “worried and upset about many things,” but “only one” is actually needed.
Have a blessed Monday!
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