Mary or Martha?

Dear blogger world, friends, and fellow brothers and sister's in Christ;

Over this summer I've been blessed with the fellowship of two dear sister's in Christ going through John MacArthur's book, "12 Extraordinary Women". Each chapter goes over a different woman from the bible, some of the women have included Eve (Genesis 2,3), Hannah (1 Samuel 1,2), and the Samaritan woman (John 4). It's been edifying to learn about each woman's life, but even more so the incredible God they all loved.

This week the chapter we went through was on Martha and Mary, and the passage that was most focused on was Luke 10:38-42 :

"Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, 'Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.' But the Lord answered and said to her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is neccesary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.'"

You must understand blogger friends, that prior to reading this passage and chapter on these two women this week, that I'd heard this passage taught on and talked about much in my short almost two years of being saved. However, this time around was different (Oh the depth of the Word of God!) One thing that MacArhur pointed out from the start was that both of the women loved the Lord. It wasn't that Martha wasn't saved, and when Jesus corrected her He did so gently. Martha was distracted (as I think we all, especially women! can relate to) she wanted to be a good hostess, but she let the distraction of being a good hostess get in the way of worshipping the Lord, which was what her sister Mary chose to do.

While reading the chapter and discussing it today with my two friends, I was convicted but I didn't realize how much until I was driving home. I just kept thinking how easy it is to be Martha! Always distracted, always serving, never stopping to cotemplate my incomprehensible Savior and to worship Him. One thing my dear sister's and I talked about was how worship must come before service, because serving the Lord should be done because we realize who HE is (the immutable, unfathomable, sovereign, faithful omnipotent, omniscient, gracious, merciful, loving HOLY God and Savior who died on the cross for our sin.) If we are serving with no purpose, no love, no adoration for the Lord then it is filthy rags! It has to be done out of an understanding of who He is, what He's done, out of worship and love for Him to His glory.

This is sobering, because firstly; it is so easy to not be disciplined in having worship be the essential part of the Christian life. Being in prayer (and not just "dear God help me with this day") I mean praise to God for who He is, as well as requests and supplications, and studying the Word is an everyday essential. This is not always easy. God has been gracious enough to bless me with someone who is sweet enough to call me each morning (currently at 6:45 a.m.) to wake me up so by the grace of God I can have enough time before the day starts to really be disciplined in doing these things.

Secondly, it is sobering because when the day starts and there is a list of things to do it's more the norm for it to be gone through with little purpose. However, if while going through my to-do list I meditated on the Word, Christ, the attributes of God, and remembered that each day every single thing is ordianed by the Lord and that each thing should be done with joy for His glory it would be a much more purposeful use of my time! It is so easy to forget as the busyness of life hits us the God we serve, all His unchanging ways, and what He has done! I pray though, by the grace of God that will drastically change in my life, and that I will remember! Remember my infinite, unchanging, incomprehensible, gracious, holy God and Savior! That all things (even the "little" things, like picking up my brothers dirty socks that like to hide all over the house) will be done with joy because of who God is! And for His glory! What a loving God we serve He is gracious enough to give us His spirit to grant the gift of illumination to see our sin, areas we need to change/grow in, then He is gracious enough to forgive us and to help us to grow!

I love 1 John 1:9

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

What an encouragement that verse is!

I'll close with this dear blogger friends:

"Oh, the depth of the riches of both the wisdom and knowlege of God! How unsearchable are His judgements and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or become His counselor? Or who has first given Him that it might be paid back to Him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen."

-Romans 11:33-36