Scripture Reading: “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.” Luke 10:41-42
One of the tips learned about how to get a hyperactive dog settled down is to hold the dog’s front feet, look him in the eyes calling him by name, and saying, “Settle.” I went through this procedure and said, “Yooper, Settle!”
Surprisingly our little two pound Yorkie pup settled down immediately.
Martha may have found herself overwhelmed by the amount of work she had taken on as hostess that day for so many people. She became distracted by many things to the point where she was stressed out and HYPER that day. It had become care-ful hospitality instead of care-free.
We live in a world of Marthas where we value productivity. Martha wanted to make sure everything was just right for Jesus, and she worked herself into such a “stew” that she couldn’t “settle down.” She had lost her focus. She started out to create a comfortable space in which Jesus could teach, but lost sight of her mission. Sometimes Martha gets criticized for being the person who is going and doing and Mary gets the praise for sitting and listening. Jesus does not condemn Martha for being a good hostess. he tells her that her problem is that she is becoming anxious and troubled over all these things. She had lost her perspective of why she was serving in the first place.
how often we do the very same thing. Even our work for the Lord can cause us to be troubled and anxious. If so, we, too, have forgotten why we are serving. When we become distracted, we become overwhelmed, frustrated, and worried. Martha was being pulled in so many directions that she became angry and resentful. She was losing her sense of peace and joy. You may be like Martha at times, agitated and all churned up inside.
Martha came to Jesus and blurted out, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
Even if Jesus had assigned ten people to help her, that would not have gotten to the root of the problem. That was not the root problem. it wasn’t that she served but that she had encumbered herself with much serving–mostly unnecessary. She overdid it. Busy doing many things, she didn’t have time for Jesus. He became crowded out.
Are we living like Martha too much of the time, caught up in the middle of distractions–losing sight of what is really important? I think most of us are.
This is what Jesus did for Martha. He had to slow her down. He said calmly but firmly, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.” It was as if Jesus was saying, “Martha, Settle!”
Jesus led Martha back to the better portion. He is leading us back into focus and to the better portion when we slow down, sit at His feet, and listen to His words.
When you take time out to spend with the Lord today, you will begin to feel a greater peace and calmness come into your life. When you feel yourself becoming distracted by many things, begin to refocus on what is really needful.
Philippians 3:13 reminds us, “This one thing I do.”
THINK: Let go of your task-driven lifestyle.
copyright 2009 by Marilyn Murphree
