Before Getting Things Done

If there is one thing I know about you, your busy. We are all busy. As far as church planting goes, there are always things to do, people to talk to, resources to raise, and things to plan. All of us have deadlines, projects and things that are grabbing for our attention.

Jesus' interaction with Mary and Martha is familiar to a lot of you.

"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

Martha and Mary invite Jesus into their home, Mary focused on spending time with Jesus, Martha focused on getting things done.

In the sermons and things I've read about this passage, Martha can be portrayed as the bad guy. But Jesus doesn't view her that way. She is running around, anxious, worried, trying to knock out her to do list, and Jesus doesn't condemn her for that. Instead he simply says "you are worried and upset about many things." In other words, what she wanted to do was good, but it dominated her.

Have you ever felt like your lists of things to do was pushing you around? Jesus wants Martha to see that there are things that needed to get done, but the most important thing was spending time with him. And when that is our priority, it will put our daily tasks in their proper place.

That list of things that needs to get done . . . it does need to get done. You need to do the project, you need to go to the meeting. However, more important than anything on our to do list is spending time with Jesus.

Spending time worshiping him, repenting of sin, listening to him. That is the one thing that Mary chose that cannot be taken from her. It's the one thing that cannot be taken from you. There is more to get done today than you and I will be able to do. But the good news is that our productivity doesn't define us. And our lack of productivity doesn't condemn us. Who you are in Jesus defines you.

Being with Jesus will shape how you and I view what needs to get done. When I forget that he is in control and cares for me to the degree that he does, then things on my plate can freak me out. But when I see that he really is in control and his promises are true for me, I can get things done, and worship while I do it.

So today, there are things you need to do. But before you start trying to get things done, maybe you need to stop and be reminded of who is in control of your to do list.