| “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed–or only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” –Luke 10:41-42
In Luke 10:38-42, Jesus visits the home of two sisters, Mary and Martha. Mary enjoys connecting with Jesus, but Martha is preoccupied with the busyness of hospitality and meal preparations. When busy Martha complains about lazy Mary, Jesus responds by saying, “Mary has chosen what is better.” Busier was not better! Ug. Too many times I resemble Martha more than Mary. I’m pretty sure Jesus would have said the same thing to me. The lesson is painfully clear: connecting with Jesus is a better choice than busyness. There will always be more to do, but we will never get back the time we could have spent with Jesus. So many of us are tired of rushing from one activity to the next, constantly checking our schedules—and let’s face it—staring way too much at our phones—even when we are with other people! We drive our kids from event to event, pack snacks, buy clothes for the next school program, and then forget to mail our friend’s birthday card on time. Thankfully, God offers a better way than running on empty. He invites us to walk instead of run. He invites us to come to Him and step away from the hamster wheel of life. He invites us to the truly important…not just to the urgent. Yes, there are real tasks to accomplish today, just as there were in Mary and Martha’s day. But, never forget that Jesus affirmed Mary’s choice as best. Today, make the choice to accept Jesus’ invitation of connection and rest. Blessings, Thora |
Such a good reminder to slow down from being Martha all the time and be intentional in spending time with Jesus like Mary.