Sandwiches not Included

[As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her - Luke 10:38-42]

Oh how I relate with Martha. I surround myself with noise, keeping busy with things that often aren't all that important. I reason it makes sense to clear my list of 'to-dos' first thing in the morning so I may sit down in peace to spend time with God and get work done on the laptop. Why dawdle when I can get the laundry, vacuuming, mopping, cleaning and bed making out of the way so they're not sitting on my mind right? But then I get distracted with other things after completing those chores, and poor God gets neglected.

Ironically, I'm the same in ministry. It's easy to get stuck into the responsibilities, whether I want to bear them or not, simply so the job's done. There are times I wait to see if others will volunteer for the role but if an item keeps reappearing on the agenda, I'd rather raise a hand and get it out of the way. Sadly, I then fail to value the purpose behind the achievement and merely meet the brief outwardly. Some may think it enough to abide by the motto "We don't always do something because we feel like it, we do it because we know it's right". But the Holy Spirit grieves at my lack of zeal and willingness to seek His intentions.  

Perhaps the desire for a sense of accomplishment persuades us to compile long lists so there is a satisfaction when each point is given a strike-through. Do we feel any less about ourselves when we're unable to finish the tasks we set out then? And if we do get to proudly scrunch that piece of paper up at the end of the day, does that mean we spent our time meaningfully? Does our productivity translate to fruitfulness in God's eyes?

Mary valued time with Jesus because she recognised that was the main thing. Although Martha invited Him in, showing interest in His company, she was caught up with tasks that could wait or weren't as crucial as she made them out to be. Martha missed the point. Her heart was not at rest and that led to frustration towards Mary. 

I have lost count of the times I got agitated over certain ones not helping to the capacity I imagined they would. My attitude was, "If I have to attend this event and make it happen, you can take some level of ownership too." I observed, with displeasure, how they arrived at their own pace and seemed to enjoy fellowship with God and others present. I wished for their nonchalance. It bothered me that I felt obligated and it bothered me more that guilt plagued me if I didn't step up to the plate. I hated the feeling of disapproval. 

My focus on the tasks drew me further and further away from God. It sapped my passion for people and the plans that were in place to extend the kingdom. And more and more I found myself asking, "What's the point?" I wanted to leave and let the carefree bunch look after the details. I resorted to keeping quiet each time an idea was proposed or discussed. I tried to ignore the voice that said I had to be the good little Christian girl, leader, godly wife and mature mentor. I was sick of meeting expectations but the need for acceptance trumped that and I caved, so the resentment continued. Imagine living like that though. What a silly web of lies. 

This passage reminds that God wants attention not performance, and this frees me from the tendency to define identity and significance according to accomplishments. It helps me redetermine what's important in life. It tells me He wants my heart and mind to be at rest so I can enjoy His presence and wisely choose what to respond to. Not every task that calls my name needs to be given the time of day. As someone once said, "Martha was preparing sandwiches Jesus never ordered. He wanted her company over the feast she wanted to prepare (probably complete with home decorations and a band)."

What Mary gained in return for her decision "will not be taken from her". Her reward is eternal, as will ours be if we lay our to-do list at God's feet and allow Him to speak into our lives. Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking God only wants us to get to work for Him. The truth is God just wants us and He hopes we're as excited about time together as He is. The revelations we receive from silencing the distractions and turning to Him are priceless and cannot be obtained through the many menial ordinary things that fill our date books. 

That sandwich may be good for an afternoon but fresh daily bread in the form of God's Word, and the insight He gives as we sit beside Him unencumbered by worry and frustration, lasts a lifetime.