Let Down | Busyness

Scripture Focus: Martha and Mary (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." (Luke 10:38-42, NIV)

Have you ever noticed how the urgent always seems to crowd out the important? This morning, you probably woke up with a mental to-do list already forming before your feet hit the floor. There are emails to answer, errands to run, meals to prepare, people to call back. And now that we're in the thick of the Christmas season, that list has probably doubled. Gifts to buy. Cards to send. Cookies to bake. Parties to attend.

We're busy. Really busy. Too busy.

And here's the thing about busyness...it makes us feel productive. It makes us feel like we're accomplishing something important. But sometimes, maybe even most of the time, our busyness keeps us from what matters most.

That's exactly what was happening to Martha when Jesus came to visit. She was doing all the right things. Someone had to prepare the meal. Someone had to make sure the house was ready for guests. Someone had to take care of all the details. So Martha threw herself into the work, moving from task to task, checking items off her mental list.

Meanwhile, her sister Mary just sat there. At Jesus' feet. Listening to him teach. And this drove Martha crazy. Couldn't Mary see how much work needed to be done? Couldn't she see that Martha needed help? How could she just sit there while Martha did all the work?

But when Martha finally complained to Jesus about her sister's lack of help, Jesus said something Martha wasn't expecting. He didn't praise her for all her hard work. He didn't tell Mary to get up and help. Instead, he said, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better."

The better thing. The one thing that was needed. And what was that? Spending time with Jesus.

Martha had convinced herself that all her busyness was necessary. That the meal wouldn't get cooked, the house wouldn't get cleaned, and everything would fall apart if she stopped working. But Jesus knew the truth...the work Martha was doing wasn't nearly as important as spending time with him.

And we do the same thing Martha did. We convince ourselves that all the things we have to do are necessary. That Christmas won't happen if we don't get everything done. That our families will be disappointed if we don't meet their expectations. That we can't possibly slow down because there's just too much to do.

But what if Jesus is sitting in our living room right now, waiting for us to stop what we're doing and spend time with him? What if all our busyness is keeping us from the one thing that matters most?

This Christmas season, we have a choice. We can be like Martha, running around stressed and overwhelmed by all the things we think we have to do. Or we can be like Mary, choosing to sit at Jesus' feet and make time for what really matters.

The work will always be there. The to-do list will never be completely finished. But this moment, this opportunity to be present with Jesus, won't last forever. So maybe it's time to stop worrying about all the things that need to be done and choose what is better instead.

Reflection Questions:

• What tasks are consuming most of your time and energy right now?

• If Jesus walked into your house today, would you stop what you're doing to spend time with him? Or would you keep working?

• What is one thing you could give up this week to make more room for Jesus?

Prayer: Jesus, forgive us for being so busy that we miss spending time with you. Help us to recognize when we're letting the urgent crowd out the important. Give us the courage to stop what we're doing and choose what is better – time with you. Show us what we need to let go of this week so we can make room for you in our lives. Amen.