Do you sometimes feel that there are so many things to be completed, and not enough time to do them all? I suspect that we all have felt like that at some time in our lives.
When there are so many things to get done, how do you go about determining what is the most important thing at that point in time?
Well, let’s look at Mary’s experience in Luke 10:38 to 42.
Picture Mary listening attentively to what Jesus was saying while sitting at His feet.
In the story we also learned that Martha was upset with Mary for not helping her serve; and Martha made it clear to Jesus how she felt.
Martha asked Jesus to request that Mary help her. But instead of agreeing with Martha, Jesus reassured Mary that she had ‘chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her’ (Luke 10:42). In Jesus’ response to Martha, I do believe that Jesus also was concern for Martha and the choices to be made when there were so many things to be done.
Yes, Martha’s concerns were valid, but there were other things to consider; other things that at that point were more important, and Mary had made the choice for ‘that good part’ (Luke 10:42).
Many times as you try to juggle and complete the various activities, you may find yourself trying to explain to others why you choose to do one activity over another, and this in itself can be a bit frustrating at times. But considering Mary’s decision to sit at Jesus’ feet and learn, we recognize that this was the place that she was gaining the strength she needed to face the challenges of the day.
Now let’s look at Mary’s experience in Luke 7:36 to 50.
Can you picture Mary sitting at Jesus’ feet and washing Jesus’ feet with her tears, wiping His feet with her hair, kissing Jesus’ feet and anointing Jesus’ feet with ointment?
Though in the Bible verses (Luke 7:36 to 50) Mary’s name is not recorded, we know that it is the same Mary, because in John 11:1 to 2 we are told that Mary of Bethany, Martha’s sister, ‘was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair.’
In Luke 7:36 to 50, Mary’s expression of worship and appreciation to Jesus was secretly ridiculed by Simon the Pharisee in whose house Jesus was a guest. But Jesus reading the heart of Simon, responded to Simon and defended Mary.
It is encouraging to note that Mary did not have to defend herself against Martha nor against Simon. Jesus understanding the hearts of all the persons involved was able to speak to the issues.
These stories revealed to me that Mary was genuinely desiring to learn of Jesus and to grow, and she was genuinely desiring to show Jesus her gratitude.
Mary was thankful for all that Jesus had done for her. Mary understood the source of her strength, of her healing and of her deliverance. She understood the source of her life. Mary was thankful for the changes that she was already experiencing. But she also understood that there was still more work to be done in her life; so she needed to be at the place for the continued transformation in her life to occur.
Mary had a single focus; while she lived in a world where demands and agendas and responsibilities and obligations were threatening to command her time and attention – and when there were always so many things to complete.
Yes, the daily responsibilities were important then and they are still important today.
But in the midst of the hustle of life where priorities can sometimes conflict, it is so good to know that God desires and encourages us to sit at His feet to learn of Him, listen to Him, pray to Him and praise Him.
We can be encouraged that while we may be focused on completing so many tasks, God is interested in completing the work that He is doing in our lives. As Mary’s life was being transformed, she found strength in Jesus’s presence, and we can too.
As I contemplated this story and my own experiences, there are some things that I believe we can keep in mind each day:
It is important that we spend time in communion with God
We need to build rest into our daily activities
When we spend time with God, we are better equipped to face the challenges of each day
Even when we are in the midst of dealing with our challenges, we are not alone because God is with us
We can depend on God to give us the wisdom regarding how to prioritize our activities each day and to be able to recognize what are the most important things we need to focus on and engage in at any point in time.
The reality is that having spent time with God, when we rise and stand, we are empowered to address our varied responsibilities.
So having been filled by God’s Word, then we can be vessels used by God to minister to others – even as He continues to do the work to transform us.
Well that is something to be thankful for. Don’t you agree?
Alison
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Alison Blackwood is a Human Resource Consultant with over 25 years of experience combined in human resource, change and operations management and organizational development.
Alison wrote her first book Victorious Healing and Growth Through God’s Grace in 2014, and the first chapter is entitled ‘Seeking balance in a busy world’. Alison is also a Christian Life Balance Coach and focuses on helping busy women find and implement workable strategies to avoid burn out and experience a sense of accomplishment at the end of each day.
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