Middle school gym class isn't supposed to be overwhelming. Gym class was ALWAYS the best time of the day, at least for a tomboy like me. Growing up with brothers, male cousins, and the woods as my companions required athleticism and a love of all things physical. Gym class was a breeze... until 6th grade. Instead of all the things I was decent at... dodgeball, softball, the mile run... we had to begin a new lesson. We were going to learn to juggle.
Have you ever seen a grown man without children try to change a diaper for the first time? They're fumbling around, all sweaty and confused, and terrified that they are never going to figure this thing out. That was me learning to juggle!
Our teacher tirelessly explained the "simple instructions" for juggling in a tone that I was sure was meant to mock my inability. First, you launch a single ball in the air while holding the other in your hand. Once the first is up, you shoot the ball from your other hand up at the same time. Then, you catch the first one in the other hand before throwing the third into the mix. You just keep catching, throwing, catching, throwing... multiple objects successfully and simultaneously in the air. Easy enough, right? WRONG! The act itself was so meticulous...precise height, specific timing, exact exertion. I felt like I was engineering the Empire State Building. If one measurement or action was off, the whole thing toppled to the ground! Concentrating harder on completing the task just caused more frustration. Being graded on this "subject" made me rethink the importance of completing school altogether.
For those few weeks in gym class, I was so intent on learning this "required task" that I focused on nothing else... not my friends, not my teachers, not taking advice, nothing. I was so frustrated and upset that my petite hands couldn't master this circus act that I vowed to hate gym class for at least the rest of my 6th grade year. Juggling was overwhelming! Not being able to do it had ruined my adolescent life.
Jesus Visits Martha & Mary
In Luke, there is a story where Jesus and his disciples stop in a village after traveling. When Jesus arrives, Martha invites him into her house. Her sister Mary is also there. Luke 10:38-42 shows us what happened.
Luke 10: 38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 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!" 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed- or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Over the past few weeks, God has been using this passage to speak directly to my heart. I keep coming back to it. I've heard this story a million times, but right now, I'm finding a message from God to me in these words. The message...I am Martha.
In the passage, Martha is the one working. Can you blame her? Jesus has just popped in, probably unannounced, and most likely has his disciples with him. What woman isn't going to rush around to clean her house, prepare an extraordinary meal, make sure everyone has a place to rest, and provide them with water and soap to clean their tired, dirty hands and feet? Martha is doing what she has been taught a good hostess does. And she is literally doing it all to serve Christ.
Mary, on the other hand, is sitting there. I know some of you, especially the women, are gasping with disbelief. "Sitting there? At a time like this? What is wrong with her?" you're probably questioning. This is exactly how Martha felt. She even asked Jesus to tell Mary to get up and help her. This is where God caught me, and probably Martha, completely off guard with his message. After Martha asks this of Jesus, he answers in Luke 10: 41-42. Jesus says, "Martha, Martha...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." What??!!?
Our human tendencies tell us that Mary should have been helping Martha. Our culture tells us that Martha was the one doing the one needed thing by being a good hostess to Jesus. Martha was literally serving Jesus...isn't that what he requires? Mary was doing nothing but sitting at his feet...and listening to him. Was she accomplishing anything? According to his words, she was doing the one needed thing, the thing that was better. Mary was focused on Jesus.
In Luke, there is a story where Jesus and his disciples stop in a village after traveling. When Jesus arrives, Martha invites him into her house. Her sister Mary is also there. Luke 10:38-42 shows us what happened.
Luke 10: 38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 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!" 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed- or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Over the past few weeks, God has been using this passage to speak directly to my heart. I keep coming back to it. I've heard this story a million times, but right now, I'm finding a message from God to me in these words. The message...I am Martha.
In the passage, Martha is the one working. Can you blame her? Jesus has just popped in, probably unannounced, and most likely has his disciples with him. What woman isn't going to rush around to clean her house, prepare an extraordinary meal, make sure everyone has a place to rest, and provide them with water and soap to clean their tired, dirty hands and feet? Martha is doing what she has been taught a good hostess does. And she is literally doing it all to serve Christ.
Mary, on the other hand, is sitting there. I know some of you, especially the women, are gasping with disbelief. "Sitting there? At a time like this? What is wrong with her?" you're probably questioning. This is exactly how Martha felt. She even asked Jesus to tell Mary to get up and help her. This is where God caught me, and probably Martha, completely off guard with his message. After Martha asks this of Jesus, he answers in Luke 10: 41-42. Jesus says, "Martha, Martha...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." What??!!?
Our human tendencies tell us that Mary should have been helping Martha. Our culture tells us that Martha was the one doing the one needed thing by being a good hostess to Jesus. Martha was literally serving Jesus...isn't that what he requires? Mary was doing nothing but sitting at his feet...and listening to him. Was she accomplishing anything? According to his words, she was doing the one needed thing, the thing that was better. Mary was focused on Jesus.
Juggling and Jesus
I am Martha. I am a doer. I am easily distracted. God has blessed me with gifts that I want to use for his glory. In fact, He wants me to use those gifts to serve him. Just like Martha though, I sometimes get so wrapped up in the act of doing that I forget the one thing that God requires from me in everything I do- to take time to focus on him. The worldly things we do are never as important as they seem. The one needed thing, the thing that is better, is being present with and focused on Christ in everything that we do, even if that requires doing nothing at all.
Just like 6th grade gym class, juggling life's "requirements" can become overwhelming, frustrating, disheartening and absent of joy. I let a trivial task that I couldn't master ruin my favorite class. Do you think I've ever been required to juggle in my adult life? No. Do you think that one bad juggling grade I received caused me to fail 6th grade gym class? No. Do you think I even remember what that grade was? No. I was overwhelmed, distracted, frustrated, and exhausted by a task that's only significance was on a 6th grade report card. All my focus was on learning to juggle. All Martha's focus was on being the perfect hostess to Jesus.
Both of our tasks distracted us from the one needed thing, the thing that was better and would have brought us great joy. For me, it was enjoying the fact that I was in gym class, my absolute favorite. For Martha, it was spending time with Jesus, completely focused on him and engulfed in his presence. Which one are you? Martha or Mary?
I was Martha. God wanted me to hear this message loud and clear. There is nothing wrong with working for Christ...as I mentioned earlier, he desires us to be a catalyst for his love and grace! What I needed to hear though, and what many of us probably need reminded of, is that while we are working, we are to remain focused on and engulfed in the presence of Christ. I was working so diligently and in so many places that I lost focus on the one thing my work should have been centered around- Jesus. Like a small child hearing their favorite bedtime story, we need to spend time at the feet of Christ anxiously soaking up what he has to share. Jesus wants us to take frequent, uninterrupted breaks from life, work, church obligations, family planning, hobbies, and all of our other priorities to make Him a priority; to just be in his presence. He wants us to be in awe of him, to be with him, to love him and experience the joy that he provides. Just as Psalm 46:10 reads, "Be still, and know that I am God..." Christ wants us to sit at his feet and just be still, just be with him. After all, this life is a temporary assignment. Our treasure should be with Jesus in eternity. Work for him while focusing on him. Serve him by being in his presence. Be overwhelmed only by his amazing grace and endless love.
I was Martha. I'm working on becoming Mary. Which one are you?
Love In Christ,
Cori
I am Martha. I am a doer. I am easily distracted. God has blessed me with gifts that I want to use for his glory. In fact, He wants me to use those gifts to serve him. Just like Martha though, I sometimes get so wrapped up in the act of doing that I forget the one thing that God requires from me in everything I do- to take time to focus on him. The worldly things we do are never as important as they seem. The one needed thing, the thing that is better, is being present with and focused on Christ in everything that we do, even if that requires doing nothing at all.
Just like 6th grade gym class, juggling life's "requirements" can become overwhelming, frustrating, disheartening and absent of joy. I let a trivial task that I couldn't master ruin my favorite class. Do you think I've ever been required to juggle in my adult life? No. Do you think that one bad juggling grade I received caused me to fail 6th grade gym class? No. Do you think I even remember what that grade was? No. I was overwhelmed, distracted, frustrated, and exhausted by a task that's only significance was on a 6th grade report card. All my focus was on learning to juggle. All Martha's focus was on being the perfect hostess to Jesus.
Both of our tasks distracted us from the one needed thing, the thing that was better and would have brought us great joy. For me, it was enjoying the fact that I was in gym class, my absolute favorite. For Martha, it was spending time with Jesus, completely focused on him and engulfed in his presence. Which one are you? Martha or Mary?
I was Martha. God wanted me to hear this message loud and clear. There is nothing wrong with working for Christ...as I mentioned earlier, he desires us to be a catalyst for his love and grace! What I needed to hear though, and what many of us probably need reminded of, is that while we are working, we are to remain focused on and engulfed in the presence of Christ. I was working so diligently and in so many places that I lost focus on the one thing my work should have been centered around- Jesus. Like a small child hearing their favorite bedtime story, we need to spend time at the feet of Christ anxiously soaking up what he has to share. Jesus wants us to take frequent, uninterrupted breaks from life, work, church obligations, family planning, hobbies, and all of our other priorities to make Him a priority; to just be in his presence. He wants us to be in awe of him, to be with him, to love him and experience the joy that he provides. Just as Psalm 46:10 reads, "Be still, and know that I am God..." Christ wants us to sit at his feet and just be still, just be with him. After all, this life is a temporary assignment. Our treasure should be with Jesus in eternity. Work for him while focusing on him. Serve him by being in his presence. Be overwhelmed only by his amazing grace and endless love.
I was Martha. I'm working on becoming Mary. Which one are you?
Love In Christ,
Cori