It has been over 8 months since iv last blogged. Realizing that it’s been that long I began to reflect on how busy I had been in the past year. I realized that I had strived so much last year in every area of my life, from work, to church, my family amongst other things. I recall one particular weekend where I managed to sneak in an extra hour of sleep. When I woke up, I realized that I had not done that in months. As much as I would love to rest more, our commitments do not give us the liberty to do so.
In today’s world the constant grind is something that is praised. But the scriptures tell us that we are to lay it all down at Christ’s feet. Today I was led to the passage of scripture in Luke 10 about Mary and Martha. Jesus graced their home with his presence that day and Martha was busy preparing a meal for them while Mary chose to sit at the Savior’s feet and soak in all his wisdom. Martha later being frustrated with all her striving complains to Jesus “Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" Jesus replies, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:40-42).
How many times have we invited Jesus in our home but later get distracted by striving to do things for him that we neglect to sit and commune with him. Here we see Martha fussing about doing something nice for Jesus, but little did she know that Jesus was not there for the meal she was stressing about, he was there for her. I know in my life the constant striving causes me to neglect the most important guest I have invited into my home, Christ.
What is stealing our attention away from Christ? Our jobs, Our families, Our endeavors, Our phones? What are we treasuring more than Christ? The bible tells us in Matthew 6:21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. We may say that we love God, but our hearts do not align to those words.
Like Martha when we strive so much, we will get overwhelmed and that’s where bitterness starts to creep in because we are doing it in our human strength. We are to surrender it all to Jesus.
May this year be a year that we make room for our most honored guest. Let us sit at his feet and let him to do the necessary work he needs to do in our lives. Let us lay it all down, our worries, our cares, our burdens, our struggles because we were never meant to carry it on our own. His way is better.
I leave you today with a quote by the great evangelist Elisabeth Elliot.
If my life is surrendered to God, all is well. Let me not grab it back, as though it were in peril in His hand but would be safer in mine!