When 24 Hours aren’t Enough
But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”
(Luke 10:40 NKJV)
I’m preparing a fabulous dinner. None of this convenience food. Everything is made from scratch. I’ve got the roast in the oven and I’m peeling potatoes. My sister is handling the rolls. A knock at the door sends a wave of panic through me. It’s the guest of honor!
Mary retreats to the living room to greet Him, leaving the rolls unattended. Tick, tick, tick, the clock counts down the minutes. Isn’t she coming back to help? Did she leave me in the kitchen to do everything by myself?
I step into the living room, and immediately, I realize Mary isn’t returning. My blood begins to boil just as I hear the potatoes boiling over. Planting my hands firmly on my hips, I seek help from our guest. Surely Jesus understands my dilemma, and there’s my sister sitting at His feet, as usual.
“Jesus, tell Mary to help me in the kitchen!” I demand. But Jesus rebukes me! He says:
“Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41b-42a NKJV)
Can you identify with Martha? Jesus isn’t coming for dinner, but we all know how it feels when twenty-four hours in one day simply isn’t enough time to do it all. The stress of an overloaded schedule. What do we do about it? We would all love to spend time worshipping at the feet of the Master, but all we have time for is a quick prayer.
A Martha lifestyle leads to spiritual anemia. We must learn to offset service to God with worship. As long as we try to cram thirty hours into one day, we will remain in bondage to our schedules.
Be realistic. We might have to say “no.” to some things. We can delegate some responsibilities to others. Definitely, we must be intentional about scheduling our quiet time with the Lord.
Schedules shouldn’t control us. We should control our schedules.
Stop allowing your schedule to be a dictator. Without feasting on the Word of God and communing with Him, we miss the “good part” Jesus referred to.
We can’t experience rest and joy in the Lord when we never spend time with Him. That’s like expecting the bills to get paid without setting up autopay or writing the check. Sorry if I just reminded you of another chore.
We choose how we spend our time. Mary chose to seek joy in Jesus, but Martha chose to become a slave to her schedule and stress. Let’s structure our lives more like Mary and less like Martha. Less stress is a healthier choice, leaving time for the “good part.”
Lord, I am in bondage to my schedule. Set me free by directing me and removing the enormous load I carry. I drag myself to bed without accomplishing everything on my to—do list. Free me from these burdens in Jesus’ name. Amen.
DIG DEEPER
HIKING THE TRAIL
According to the above passage, do you think Martha learned to restructure her schedule? Below are the three steps to lighten your load.
- Learn to say no.
- Delegate some responsibilities.
- Schedule your quiet time and stick to it.
RELATED RESOURCE
Incense Rising: 60 Days to Powerful Prayer is more than a devotional. It includes Bible verses to read and memorize, a name of God to study, and practical steps to use as you pray. Learn more here.
Originally posted on October 19, 2020 @ 3:00 am