Martha's Legacy - Good vs. Best

 

Have you ever we begun a new ministry with the right motivation, but found along the way that somehow you got off track.? Perhaps, your idea(s) for the ministry failed to match up with reality. Your heart's motives were pure, but something went awry. 

This seems to have happened with Martha in the story Luke shares with us in Luke 10:38-42,

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.”

Martha's heart was in the right place. She knew The Master and His disciples would be tired and hungry from their journey. AND not only that, it was customary to open up one's home to weary travelers and serve them refreshments. What would the neighbor's think if Martha hadn't got busy in the kitchen? It was tradition after all! 

No, Martha was doing the right thing in her mind, while her sister was being a slacker! Can you relate to Martha? Does it ever seem like you're doing all the work while others are enjoying all the benefits?

I honestly believe this happens a lot in the ministry and why we have so many suffering from “burn out”. Unfortunately for Martha, she experienced more of a  “burned up” rather than a burn out. She got really angry FAST, and took her anger out on Jesus, accusing her Lord of not caring. Can you imagine? I can, for I've been in Martha's shoes a few times over the years in different ministries.

It's during those times that our Lord has to come sit me down and help me to see the whole picture (the one with Jesus in it). He usually accomplishes that with a list of questions:

• Whose ministry is this?
• Whose children are you serving?
• Whose given you the means and talents?
• Who always sees all that you are doing?
• And just Who are you ultimately serving?

I usually end up eating a huge slice of humble pie when He's through, but I always rise eager and ready to keep going after one of these talks. 

In Martha's case Jesus simply spells it out for her. "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."

It wasn't Martha's frantic activity that impressed Jesus, and won His praises, but Mary's inactivity while sitting at her Savior's feet and listening intently to His teaching.

We all need to eat, and the work of the ministry needs to continue, but we can't allow it to consume our most important time with Him each day, otherwise we too might become susceptible  to "burn out", or "burn up".

I'm so thankful Martha went through all she did and has left us with such a wonderful testimony. How about you?

Blessings, 

sue