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Come to Me
The story of Mary and Martha beautifully highlights the good news of God’s grace: Salvation isn’t about what I do; it’s about what Jesus did. The Cross did more than pay for my sins; it set me free from the bondage of the “shoulds” and “if onlys” and “what might have beens.”
Because we are His children, Kitchen Service will be the natural result of Living Room Intimacy with God. Like Jesus, we must be about our Father’s business. The closer we draw to the heart of the Father, the more we see His heart for the world. And so we serve, we minister, and we love, knowing that when we do it to “the least of these,” we have done it unto Christ.
But when we put work before worship, we put the cart before the horse. The cart is important; so is the horse. But the horse must come first, or we end up pulling the cart ourselves.
Frustrated and weary, we can nearly break under the pressure of service, for there is always something that needs to be done. When we first spend time in His presence—when we take time to hear His voice—God provides the horsepower we need to pull the heaviest load.
Jesus’ words to Martha are the words He wants to speak to your heart and mine: “You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.”
The “one thing” is not found in doing more.
It’s found by sitting at His feet.
The only requirement for a deeper friendship with God is showing up with a heart open and ready to receive. Jesus said: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29).
In obedience to His invitation, we find the key to our longings, the secret to living beyond the daily pressures that would otherwise tear us apart. For as we learn what it means to choose the Better Part of intimacy with Christ, we begin to be changed.
When have you seen intimacy with God lead to acts of service, either in your life or in the life of someone else?
About this Plan
Often we feel as if we’re not doing enough. Then we feel guilty because we’re supposed to be having quiet times with God too—but when we try to slow down, our hearts and minds are still busy. The story of Mary and Martha offers us guidance as well as grace in this tension. It’s a story of two sisters. It’s a story for each of us.
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We would like to thank WaterBrook Multnomah for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: https://waterbrookmultnomah.com/books/187666/having-a-mary-heart-in-a-martha-world-by-joanna-weaver/
