TOO BUSY TO ENJOY GOD’S GRACE

Luke 10:41-42

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

                We have just come through Holy Week, one of the busiest weeks of the year for me. As I reflect upon what happened during that week, I realize that I was like Martha when I needed to be like Mary. Martha was concerned with all of the details, while Mary was enthralled with Jesus. The details are important, but they are secondary to what is most important; connecting with Jesus.

                In my reading recently, I was challenged by the idea that we can get so caught up in serving for God that we miss connecting with God. We can become like the workaholic husband and father who spends all of his time “providing for” his family, but never spends any time with his family. It is possible that this idea is at the heart of Jesus’ warning in Matthew 7:21-23.  "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

                When we substitute doing for building our relationship with God, we fall back into the trap of works righteousness; seeking to earn our salvation by our great efforts. But, for most of us, the real danger is that we miss out on the joy that Christ wants to gives us because we become consumed by “the work.” Martha had a genuine relationship with Jesus but was missing the joy. She saw all of what she was doing as a duty to be fulfilled, rather than an act of love in response to who Jesus is.

                Jesus clearly linked what we do for Him with our love for Him. "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. (John 15:9-12) The joy in serving comes when we serve out of love for Christ and love for others.

                All of us have a particular love language; the way that we express our love for another. My primary love language is doing, as opposed to speaking. Yesterday I did laundry and washed dishes while my wife, Suanne, was at work. I found pleasure in doing those things, not because I like washing dishes or doing laundry, but because I was doing them for Suanne.

                At the end of Holy Week, I was pretty much exhausted. Even as I was entering one event, I was thinking about the next thing I had to do. I was pleased with what happened on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday, but something was missing. What was missing was the pure joy of those experiences. I am afraid I was Martha and not Mary. I was too busy to enjoy God’s grace.

Psalm 46:10

"Be still, and know that I am God;

 I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth."