I grew up watching reruns of "The Brady Bunch," and anytime I hear the name Marsha, I can hear the voice of Jan Brady whining in my head: "Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!"
"Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!"
While this makes me chuckle--and cringe a little at the whining--I think about the story of Mary and Martha in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus and His disciples were travelling from Jerusalem and they stopped at the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Martha set about to preparing a meal--and maybe even some last-minute cleaning--while Mary sat at Jesus' feet and listened to what He had to say. Here is how Luke gives his account of the events:
"As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed them into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord's feet, listening to what He taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, 'Lord, doesn't it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.' " (Luke 10:38-40 NLT, emphasis mine.)
Let's pause here for a minute.
What do we learn about Martha? The New Living Translation says that she was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. The New International Readers Version says, "But Martha was busy with all the things that had to be done." In the Amplified version, it says, "But Martha [overly occupied and too busy] was distracted with much serving..."
Well now! I'm not sure about you, but I certainly fall into the Martha category. I am too easily distracted by the things that need to be done: cleaning, laundry, preparing meals, taking kids here and there, providing for my family, homeschooling... this isn't an exhaustive list, but it certainly is exhausting! If you, like me, are also a single homeschooling parent, then it is easy to succumb to the trap of busyness. Whether you are in a good coparenting relationship with your children's other parent or not, the bulk of the everyday responsibilities surrounding your children's needs may fall on you. You may not have someone to help shuttle your kids places or to help fold laundry or wash dishes after a meal or to even give you an hour to go grab a cup of coffee and sit in silence. Your "to do" list may be miles long, and your calendar is full through the end of the year, and if one more kid wants to add one more activity...
But wait!
Pause.
Take a breath.
Now, let's look at Jesus' response to Martha's whining.
"But the Lord said to her, 'My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.' " (Luke 10:41-42 NLT, emphasis mine.)
Did you catch that? Can you hear the love and the gentleness with which our Lord spoke to Martha? He didn't chastise her or tell her to knock it off. He said, "My dear Martha..." Do you think that phrase alone may have had a calming effect on her? Jesus had a relationship with her, and instead of getting agitated by her distraction and busyness and whining, He spoke to her in a loving and gentle manner.
"My dear (insert your name)..."
Instead of being worried and upset over the details of your life and the lives of your children, listen as the Lord gently calls your name. Pause. Take a breath. He is telling you what is most important. Spend time at His feet. "Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven..." (Matthew 6:33) That's what Mary was doing while Martha was scurrying around, trying to make everything just so. Mary sat at Jesus' feet.
Now, does this mean that you need to spend hours every morning in Bible study and prayer? Not necessarily. Yes, read your Bible. Yes, pray. Sometimes, it may mean that you pray while you're in the shower because no one else can interrupt you there. It may mean that you read your Bible for 10 minutes while your kids are outside playing. The how isn't important; there isn't a set formula. Mary set an example for us--she simply sat at Jesus' feet. We don't even know how long she sat there. Maybe it was just for five minutes, or maybe it was for an hour. What we do see is that she was intentional about spending time with the Lord. She chose what held eternal importance, and it wasn't dusting or washing dishes or running kids all around the county for activities and being so stressed that she couldn't see straight.
As I read this passage in my Bible on Sunday morning before church, this is what ministered to me: Busyness is a trap. I need to be intentional about the time that I spend with the Lord, because seeking first His Kingdom is what will cause everything else to fall into place. Yes, I will still have work to do. There will still be responsibilities. But if I seek Him first, I will be modeling for my children how to do that and the importance that it carries, and then they will grow up to be adults who seek God daily and rely on Him for their every need.
If you find yourself caught up in the trap of "Martha, Martha, Martha..."
Pause.
Take a breath.
And hear the Lord saying to you, "My dear (insert your name)..."
Sit at His feet today. Listen to what He has to say to you. And know that you are loved.
