Busier Isn’t Always Better | Luke 10:40–42

“She came to Jesus and said, ‘Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.’ But the Lord said to her, ‘My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.’” (Luke 10:40–42 NLT)

In our busy culture, where communication devices, social media, and countless other distractions constantly demand our attention, one of the hardest things to do is to be still. To silence the noise and sit in quiet contemplation. To engage one-on-One with God, to speak and listen to Him with no interruptions. Yet, if Scripture teaches us anything, it’s that being still yields amazing results. In this week’s devotions, we will focus on what it means to be still before God.

Let’s set the scene for one of the best-known examples of being still in all of Scripture. When the Lord walked this earth, He had no place to call home. Jesus Himself said, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20 NLT). He traveled almost constantly. In His travels, though, He found something He liked about a home in Bethany where a man named Lazarus lived with his two sisters, Mary and Martha. Maybe Martha was a great cook. Maybe they were wonderful hosts.

What we do know is that Mary and Martha were quite different from each other. Mary was more the quiet, contemplative type. Martha was more the grab-the-bull-by-the-horns, assertive type.

One day, Jesus came to their home. Martha thought it would be a good idea to make Him a meal. She went into the kitchen and started working. Meanwhile, Mary thought it would be a great opportunity to sit at Jesus’ feet and hear what He had to say. As Mary was sitting, taking it all in, Martha was working frantically in the kitchen, growing more frustrated because Mary wasn’t helping her. Finally, Martha couldn’t contain herself any longer. She came out of the kitchen, looked down at Mary and Jesus, and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me” (Luke 10:40 NLT).

Jesus responded with these words: “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her” (verses 41–42 NLT).

Our culture wants us to believe that busier is better. But Jesus’ response to Martha makes it clear this isn’t always the case. If we get consumed by the desire to “accomplish things,” we run the risk of offering activity instead of adoration, work instead of worship, and perspiration instead of inspiration. There’s a time to sit and a time to move.

Reflection question: How do you know when it’s time to sit, as Mary did? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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