Why We Need Margin in Our Lives

There seems to be a margin deficiency that is impacting every generation.

After considering how tight the average schedule is, a prudent exercise was to see if this same behavior existed in the earthly ministry of Christ. Not far into Jesus’ ministry, we meet two sisters named Martha and Mary.

What appears to be comical is that Martha, who tends to get a bad rap in this account, was essentially told to stop for a minute and be where her feet are, however upon reflection, the way she was responding to the greatest “Guest” in her home seems to align to how most live their lives today. Imagine, for a moment, that you received a call saying that you won a contest where a celebrity you love would be visiting your home in two hours. How would you spend that time waiting?

Most people, if they were being honest, would begin the flight of the bumblebee. Not familiar with that? That is where upon receiving news such as this we begin buzzing around our homes cleaning, picking up, wiping down, and stuffing drawers/closets to the brim, in our best effort to conceal the reality of our circumstances. When the flight of the bumblebee is finished we put on a smile and welcome our guests making reference about how they should excuse the mess, come on now, is this hitting eerily close to home?

Martha, all things considered, had a great reason to fully engage in extensive cleaning because the Messiah was in her living room. However, Jesus, in perfect Jesus fashion teaches Martha, and us, the importance of margin in our lives and how that must be protected and utilized to taste the good in life that our Father desires. Essentially He was inviting Martha into a beautiful moment where she could rest, reflect, and strengthen her personal relationship with God.

Mary had the margin of energy and reflection to prioritize and learn. We may think of ourselves as learners but Mary shows us that being a learner is impossible if we don’t have the margin to create the space to learn.

Jesus was demonstrating that without margin we often find ourselves chasing what we, and our calendars, predetermine as crucial and limiting our ability to identify the opportunities where God desires us to soak in His Goodness. Contrary to how we often think, Mary was not lazy, she was intentional about keeping the margin in her life to be used the way God desired, and in this moment she wasn’t going to miss the chance to sit at the Lord’s feet for anything in the world. Today, if the Lord were to enter your home, do you have the wherewithal and margin to stop, be still, and sit with Him right where you are?

Questions to Consider

1. In what ways do you relate to Martha's 'flight of the bumblebee' when preparing for guests?
2. How can creating margin in your schedule help strengthen your relationship with God?