Getting the balance right

“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 10:38-41  NLT

A great example of the consequences of busyness is showcased here. Martha was a busy servant. She wanted everything right for Jesus. Therefore she busied herself in the kitchen duties. Mary just wanted to know Jesus better and so, spent important time with Him. This infuriated Martha, who wanted some help but Jesus told her the truth and sometimes the truth hurts.

If we are honest, most of the time we resemble Martha more than Mary. We rush around doing “what needs to be done,” while missing the glimpses of Jesus all around us. As difficult as it is, and as contrary to our culture as it is, we must intentionally make the effort to slow down and model Mary because, as Jesus Himself said, “Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

When you break it down, busyness can be interpreted as the sin of worry and busyness as a lack of trust. This painful truth doesn't mean we don't trust God at all. It means we are still being sanctified (a work in progress) and we are finding it difficult to get the balance right. We can be so busy, rather like Martha, and leave Jesus out of the equation. She didn't realise that she was doing it and, neither do we. We must find time in our busy schedule to spend time with Jesus.

At the other end of the spectrum is business in the church. Check this out: 'I have a sermon and a bible study to prepare. There is the worship to practice and new songs to learn and I have a meeting in the church tonight. I said that I would visit a few people as well, this week. Then, I want to see the pastor about the youth group. I've no time for my own personal bible study and I promised to take the kids out in the morning as well' Wow, if you have a day job as well, this is a tall order. You sound like the man who used to spin the plates, can you remember him? He would have all these plates spinning on upright rods, probably about 12 of them. At first, they were ok but after a short time, the plates began to crash. This is what could happen to you if you don't get the balance right.

What did Jesus say about this type of thing? “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29Take My yoke upon you. Let Me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Is Jesus speaking to you here? Is the balance between your day job, marriage, family and your Christian life right? Does it need tweaking or perhaps a total overhaul. Burnout can be costly to your health. Being too busy for your family - wife/husband and children can be heading for disaster. Living with your life unbalanced can lead to health problems, stress, heart attack, you name it. 

Be wise and listen to Jesus about these things. If He is telling you to take some time out; lean on Him or find a more workable schedule, then you would be sensible to do it. Before it's too late. Just think, Jesus was probably more busier than any of us could ever be. The difference is, He knew how to prioritise things and don’t forget, He also needed to spend time with His Father. 

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

'Lord Jesus, I have sinned and I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today.

In Jesus' Name. Amen'

Copyright 2024 Grahame Howard.                                

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