How to be a Mary in a Martha's World

Every morning my alarm clock goes off at 7am. Before I spring out of bed and all of my daily responsibilities rush back into my mind, I try my best to say my morning prayer. Along with life comes many stages and, in those stages, whether you’re a student, career woman, mother, wife, or all of the above it can get difficult to prioritize all of the responsibilities and save time for yourself. We learn that trying to play the part of Super Woman, can get overwhelming and exhausting! I find that I get exhausted when my anxiety triumphs over intimate time with Jesus.

In the book of Luke 10:38-42 I found a short account of two women named Mary and Martha. After reading, I sat and meditated on what I could learn from these few verses. I realized that it is easy to identify with Martha and sometimes difficult to keep close to Jesus like Mary. Neither of the two women were wrong for their actions but in verse 42, Jesus praises Mary for her actions.

"I realized that it is easy to identify with Martha and sometimes difficult to keep close to Jesus like Mary. "

Along with life comes many stages and, in those stages, whether you’re a student, career woman, mother, wife, or all of the above it can get difficult to prioritize all of the responsibilities and save time for yourself. We learn that trying to play the part of Super Woman, can get overwhelming and exhausting! I find that I get exhausted when my anxiety triumphs over intimate time with Jesus.

‬‬

The living room intimacy that Mary enjoyed with Jesus will never come out of the business of Martha’s kitchen. Just because Martha opened her home to Jesus did not mean that she opened her heart. In other words, in our eagerness to serve Jesus we can miss the opportunity to know Jesus. Matthew 7:21-23 says “On that day many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name? And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, your workers of lawlessness.’ Many of us ladies serve in the church and in various ministries but can He say that He has a relationship with us?

Again, Jesus told Martha “you are upset about many things but one is only important.” That one thing is not found in doing more but found in the quiet solitude of sitting at the feet of Jesus. Matthew 11:28-29, “Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”