Overly Occupied And Too Busy

Jesus was travelling through Bethany and stopped at Mary & Martha’s House. The same sisters whose brother was Lazarus that Jesus later raised from the dead.  Jesus had just finished a training session with seventy other disciples whom he had given power and sent out on a mission trip. They had returned back with a great report and He had been conducting a debriefing, while continuing as always to impart new knowledge and insight unto them. It’s quite possible that all of them were with him and the twelve when they got to Mary and Martha’s house. It was customary that when one received guests into their home they were responsible for providing food for them.  Martha quickly started setting things in motion to prepare for the task.  Can you imagine eighty-two hungry, fried chicken eating preachers at your house?  The chicken had to be killed, plucked, cleaned, cut, seasoned, & fried; not to mention vegetables and something to drink for Jesus and His entourage. Martha was doing all this work for the Lord while Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to His words. If you’ve ever felt like one of your co-workers was not doing their share of the workload, then you can relate.  Martha had had enough.  Can you see her in the kitchen slamming things around and talking under her breath. She finally went in, apron and hands covered with flour, and instead of speaking to Mary, she spoke directly to Jesus?  “Now Lord, you see me in here getting everything ready for you and your partners.  Don’t you care that Mary has left me in here to serve you alone?  Make her come in here and help! ”  Jesus looked at her and spoke gently, “Martha, Martha. You are anxious and upset about the wrong thing. The spiritual food I am giving Mary will far outlast the physical food being prepared for me. I won’t take the opportunity of impartation from her.” 

Sometimes we are so busy working for the Lord we don’t take the time to hear his voice. I know we work for Him because we love it. But do we love the Lord or just working for the Lord.  It’s hard to convince someone you love them when you won’t take the time to listen what they have to say.

Those seventy preachers that were with Jesus and the twelve, they eventually left Him. He then looked at his disciples and said “Are you going to leave too?”  Peter answered him and said Lord where else are we going to go?  Only you have the words of eternal life.

The Father is continuously speaking to us through the Holy Spirit, but are we listening?  Do we have ears to hear? He not only speaks the deep things, but in the simple as well. He wants you to find that bargain. He wants you to get the closest parking space. It’s His desire to give you the answers you seek on a daily, moment by moment basis; not just on Sundays or at Bible study. We must take what we learn at church, cultivate it and apply it so we can grow. Hide His word in our hearts. 

Take out a sheet of paper and write the word H-E-A-R-T.  In the center of the  heart is E-A-R.  The ear one of the gateways to the heart.  The first four letters are  H-E-A-R.  Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. The first two letters are H-E.  We must hear what He (God) has to say on any subject.  The last three letters are A-R-T.  Hearing from God consistently an accurately is an art that we must master. It is a process, but it is achievable. In this era of hustle and bustle, with all of life’s distractions, we must  guard our HEART by giving EAR only to what HE has to say. This ART is not easy, but is labor and leads to the abundant life we desire. 

© Fredrick F. Nicholson all rights reserved