https://odb.org/2023/11/15/one-thing-needed
Every now and then, we come across this issue of Mary and Martha as enumerated in Luke 10:38-42. Do you serve the guests or sit down and listen to the teacher? Do you do the work or just commune with God? For example, the church needs to be vacuumed, and the toilets are to be cleaned. Someone needs to prepare the message. The worship team needs to prepare for worship, and that includes not only singing the songs but preparing the slides for Zoom and projecting the lyrics. We need to make sure the sound system and the microphones work and the musical instruments are tuned. We can not have a worship service if everyone just comes to church and silently listens to God. If we are breaking bread, someone needs to prepare the bread and the juice or wine.
Yet, in the midst of all the activities needed to run a church, in particular, a Sunday worship service, we need to remember what’s the most important thing. The work must continue, but the objective and goal must always be remembered, and that is to sit at His feet and listen to Him. That is why, in addition to all the work and preparation that everyone else is doing, we must prepare our hearts to listen to Jesus when we go to church. We must open up our hearts to receive from Him as the congregation. His Word to strengthen and encourage and guide us along our lives, especially our spiritual life. Even those of us who are doing the work, we must remember the ultimate objective of reaching out and touching the train of His robe. We want to have a touch of Him, to see Him face to face in the spirit as we worship Him. To hear His voice speaking to us as the preacher delivers the message. What is God saying to us through all the noise, words, and music? Can we allow His Word to cut through all that as it is, after all, a two-edged sword?
We always need Martha as time waits for no man – life goes on. We can not freeze time to catch a breadth. Reach out to God and seek Him amidst the “busyness” of our lives. We need to be Mary, to just chill and listen to Jesus as He speaks and comforts us. The guests needed to be attended to, but we also need to sit down at His feet to listen to Him. Find that quiet time and pray and commune with Him as our Lord always does Himself when He was ministering on earth. It will make a difference, believe me!
Ronnie's Thoughts 