“Do You Even Work Bro”

As I read the story of Martha and Mary, I realized that I totally identify with Mary. To lay at the feet of Jesus and to just glean on everything that He is saying, YES PLEASE! The problem with this is our fast pace society and our work ethic sees this as Unproductive. Like “But are you even working bro?” If we don’t have our hand to the plow everyday people seem to think that we aren’t doing anything. Mary, though it seems opposite, is indeed working but not on anything that can be seen by the human eye. She is working on her spiritual growth. Our society has lost the importance of the principle of resting in the Lord. We take on a Martha attitude. We frustrate and busy ourselves in the things of the Lord and we never really “still ourselves and know that He is God.”(Psalms 46:10)  We are trying to impress God with our works, and I think that is exactly what Martha was doing. “Jesus I SERVED in this area, Jesus I MINISTERED to this person…” We have this “look at me attitude” SIDE NOTE: Isn’t it just like siblings to tattle on you when you aren’t doing what they want you to do. Martha clearly had control issues. The best part of this was that Jesus wasn’t the least impressed by her works.  Jesus was smart. I bet He saw right through what she was doing. His response was basically “Chill out! You are taking on more than you need to do right now. Do the most important thing and rest in me.” Psalms 91:1 says “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, shall rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” Dwelling in the secret place is being in the presence of God. What happens in the presence of God, REST! I think we end up with anxiety because we don’t take the time to ask God for guidance on our days overwhelming ourselves and never simply rest. With Jesus’ response He also eluded having a wrong heart about your works. Even if it is for the Lord, it can burn up and be taken from you but the knowledge of the things of God will ALWAYS remain. So next time you have to choose between being busy of productive AKA Martha or Mary, I encourage you to be Mary.