Several years ago, a study analyzed the link between teenage depression and the amount of sleep teens received each night. After reading the study, a young woman commented on the results: “I never seem to know when to stop—I push myself so hard that I end up making myself sick from lack of sleep and stress.” Then she said she wanted to know what it really meant to manage her time to honor God. What was the difference between busyness and fruitfulness?
Being busy is no guarantee for being productive, faithful, or fruitful. Yet we might think that being busy is what’s most important. In Luke 10:41, Jesus gently reminded Martha that she was “worried and upset about many things” and that her sister Mary’s choice of sitting “at the Lord’s feet” (v. 39)—a posture of discipleship—was the better choice.
In our desire to serve Christ, are we doing too much, thinking that He’ll notice us more if we do more? Colossians 3:17 says, “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” However, it doesn’t say to burn ourselves out in His name. In Psalm 46:10, we hear this reminder: “Be still, and know that I am God.”
Let’s take some time to slow down and spend time with Christ rather than focusing solely on our to-do list. Only then can we find true “rest for [our] souls” (Matthew 11:29).
When have you been too busy to be faithful and fruitful? How can you find rest in Jesus to accomplish what He wants you to do?
Dear Jesus, please help me replace busyness with being still so I can know that You’re God and my life can be fruitful.
Luke 10:38-42 isn’t the only place we read of Jesus interacting with Mary and Martha. In John 11, Christ once again found His way to Bethany—but not for dinner. Lazarus was sick, and his sisters sent word to Jesus (vv. 1-3). In Luke, the setting was domestic (10:40); in John, the situation involved distress and death (11:3, 17). However, certain dynamics were present in both situations. In Luke 10:38-40, Martha is distracted with serving. In John 11:20-22, she’s distressed with grief. But in both cases, Christ put things into perspective (Luke 10:41-42; John 11:23-26). As for Mary, in Luke 10, she’s sitting at Jesus’ feet “listening to what he said” (v. 39). In John 11, she’s at His feet again but this time in desperate grief (v. 32). Christ provides the ultimate hope in our grief: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (vv. 25-26).
