Too often we go about our lives feeling overwhelmed and stressed. We lose sleep at night at the thought of the endless “to do” lists. There just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day to accomplish the things we need to get done. Sadly, when a woman is spread too thin, her attitude changes for the worse. Martha, depicted in Luke chapter 10, was a woman who experienced this first hand. Alone in the kitchen without any help, Martha is consumed with the details of all the preparations she needed to do. Entertaining is her gifting, but that day she was not just entertaining ordinary guests, she was hosting the Messiah. She wanted everything to be perfect for Him. But the stress of the details started to weigh on her.
To make matters worse, her sister Mary wasn’t helping at all. Mary wasn’t even in the kitchen. She was in the living room sitting at the feet of Jesus listening to Him speak, while Martha worked tirelessly. I can just hear Martha grumbling to herself in the kitchen: "Must be nice to just sit while someone else is doing all the work. We were supposed to be doing this together!"
Did the preparations need to get done? Yes. Was Martha the right person for the job? Absolutely. So why was she feeling so frustrated?
Her fault was that she grew "cumbered with much serving," so that she forgot him, and only remembered the service. – Charles Spurgeon
Instead of focusing on what Mary wasn’t doing, Martha should have been focusing on what Mary was doing right. You see, Mary didn’t want to miss this special moment with Jesus. She allowed the words of Jesus to fill her up and encourage her spirit. She was being refreshed and renewed by her Savior. Then, and only then, would she be ready to take on her “to do” list.
Ladies, we cannot possibly accomplish all the things we need to without spending time with Jesus first. Jesus doesn’t just want our service, He wants us to have a relationship with Him. He wants to be the source of our strength. He wants to pour into us so that we are equipped to take on anything that comes our way. But, we must allow him to fill us first.
Do you feel spread too thin? Is your attitude full of frustration and resentment? If yes, take a look at your time with Jesus. Is your time spent with Him just another check off your endless list, or is it quality time spent in the presence of the Lord. Jesus wants to fill you up and renew you. You just need to get out of the kitchen and head to the living room.
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. – Revelations 3:20
