“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And
a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called
Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was
distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, ‘Lord, do you
not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.’
But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about
many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion,
which will not be taken away from her.’”~Luke 10:38
For me
to be able to explain where I’m at in my life right now, I need you to
understand the story of these two sisters right here. As Christians, there are
so many times in our lives that we lead a double life. We put on two different
faces; one for the surface, and one for the inner being that cries out for
help. We wear a smile that hides away all the pain, all the suffering, all the
desires in our hearts to feel whole and renewed. And to top it all off, we
distract ourselves with the desires of the flesh and the teachings of the
world, all in an effort to serve and be recognized for it. We live with pride,
and instead of crying out to our savior and realizing how much we need Him to
renew us, we fill up our schedules and our lives with more than we can handle,
just to feel like we’re accomplishing something great. This life is the life of
Martha. This is my life.
I am
run down and weary. I feel spiritually drained and mentally and physically
exhausted. I’ve been running towards the prize that Jesus has laid before me on
my path. But instead of resting in His promises and enjoying every moment with
my saviour, I’ve been so distracted with trying to do as much as I possibly can
to serve, that I forgot how precious and sweet my time with Christ is. And in
that moment of forgetting, I’ve come to a place of brokenness, and I didn’t
know how to get back. It wasn’t until I opened my Bible this morning to read
this scripture that the Lord spoke to me. “Martha, Martha, you are ANXIOUS and
TROUBLED about many things. But one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the
GOOD portion, which will not be taken from her.”
Martha
was just trying to do her best, right? Serving as much as she could. But Mary,
Mary understood that our lives are meant to be more than just what the world
sees as being righteous. Mary understood that while the rest of the world will
fall away, the Word of God will always stand true. Mary knew that when her time
came to stand before the throne, there was and is nothing in this life that she
could do to earn her way into the kingdom of heaven. She knew that knowing the
Savior and knowing His love and his truths; this is what would last for
eternity.
‘Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken
away from her.’ How many times have I put my hope in everything BUT the one who
lived and died for me? I want to serve
with a heart of joy, and I want to choose the good portion. I want to live my life
knowing I’ve chosen Him over great works and deeds. Because great works and
good deeds will one day be forgotten, and they will fall away. But His love and
His teachings will carry on in my heart for eternity. Lord, help me to choose
the good portion. Help me not to serve and become distracted by how well I can
serve, or how much I can serve. Help me to serve with a heart that is restful
and at peace. Help me to come to your Word and seek you in everything I do,
even before I attempt to do it. Help me to live like Mary, resting at your
feet, and sitting still. Help me to sit still, so that I may LISTEN and hear
you.
