Boy, that makes me squirm!

I was reading the story about Mary and Martha the other day in Luke 10:38-42 and the Lord used this story to speak loudly to me about relationships. Relationship with Him as well as with my kids, husband and friends. I so often take on the role as a serving wife and mother. I have no problems in this area. I love to serve! I find it fulfilling to be able to serve my family. But that has been my problem as well. I have noticed a pattern in my life. At times when I'm serving, I have noticed that I also have neglected my family. I get so caught up in the "doing" that I have forgotten the most important part is in the "being". I have had to stop and ask myself "has my serving become self-serving?". Ouch! Sometimes it probably has.

Martha's desire was to serve Jesus, but she failed to recognize that she was actually neglecting her guest. I don't know why but this story always makes me squirm. It's probably because I'm so much like Martha, but deep down inside I want to me a Mary. I want to let the worries of this life go, like Mary did, and just sit, relax and enjoy what is in front of me. I find that I don't know how to do this. I don't know how to just sit and enjoy the company around me. It might be that I have used the excuse of serving to keep close relationships at arms length. Serving sometimes has become my safe haven. It's so much easier to serve than it is to develop relationships. It takes so much more effort to do this.

Jesus told Martha that Mary chose what was better. She chose what would never be taken away from her. Martha was worried about the temporal things of life while Mary enjoyed the lasting things of life, relationship. I've often wondered what lessons and stories Martha missed when Jesus was talking at that moment while she was busy around her house? It's obvious he was saying something very interesting for Mary to want to just sit at his feet and listen. Martha was so distracted with "doing" she forgot that just "being" was what Jesus wanted most from her. It's also very interesting that Jesus let Martha run around, never saying anything to her until Martha expressed her frustration to him. Then he lovingly put her in her place. Why did he not say anything to her, once he noticed she was distracted? He waited for her to voice her frustration about her sister before he shared his observations. What really gets me is that Martha was not sinning. She was just distracted. She took her eyes off of what was most important. Relationships. On the outside she appeared to be serving, but on the inside she missed it altogether. What I love most about this story, is that He never threw it at her face but gently, at the right moment, showed her what her weakness was. I love it when God uses the perfect moment to show us where we are wrong. He never yells at us, never shakes His head in frustration. He just waits. Waits till we are ready to hear from him, usually its in the middle of our frustration. This has been an eye opening truth for me this week. Does this story make you squirm too? If it does, it could be because Jesus has been waiting to show you your own weakness. Don't pass up the chance for the Lord to gently put you in your place. I'm sure glad I didn't!!