Imagine soft music playing in the background while you relax and bask in the sweet aroma of your favorite scented candles, with only a bouquet of fresh roses and your feet arched up on soft pillows in sight. Sounds like something many of us wish we could do right now instead of carrying on with our busy schedules; going from here to there with no end in sight. For many of us, this scene (or another like it) is something of a fantasy. So how do we create that feeling we feel in our most relaxed setting while we are out and about keeping up with our daily lives? How do we keep ourselves calm and collected whenever nothing seems to go our way? How do we fight every urge in our body to scream at whatever or whoever gets in the way of the task at hand?
Well let's look at the obstacle in our way: the mind. Our minds create a sense of anxiety due to doing one task after the other after the other. The list of things to do go on and on...OR...you simply have gotten so used to staying busy that you wouldn't know what to do even if you did have free time. Either way these both could be labeled as one thing...sin. "How could staying busy be a sin?" you might ask. Well staying busy isn't a sin...but forgetting Jesus in the midst of your busyness is. Neglecting acknowledgement of the Savior who gives you the ability to carry out each task before you is the root of your stress.
In Luke 10, Jesus and his disciples went to a woman named Martha's house, and Jesus was teaching the people there. Martha was busying herself serving everyone, stressing about each and every thing she had to do, while her sister Mary was sitting quietly at the feet of Jesus, receiving his words with joy and peace and a renewing of mind. Jesus said to Martha in verses 41 and 42
Jesus didn't tell her that what she was doing was wrong, but that her anxiety and neglect of the most important, everlasting part of our lives was. Mary realized that Jesus was more important than the task at hand. That spending time listening and learning from Him was needed in that moment. That the tasks could wait, even for just ten minutes, so that she could get refreshed and receive a peace like no other to carry her throughout the day. That Jesus needed her to spend time with Him, and he would give her the strength she needed to carry on. Martha, of course, didn't purposefully neglect Jesus. She simply allowed other things to take the priority and push him out.
Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her
Jesus didn't tell her that what she was doing was wrong, but that her anxiety and neglect of the most important, everlasting part of our lives was. Mary realized that Jesus was more important than the task at hand. That spending time listening and learning from Him was needed in that moment. That the tasks could wait, even for just ten minutes, so that she could get refreshed and receive a peace like no other to carry her throughout the day. That Jesus needed her to spend time with Him, and he would give her the strength she needed to carry on. Martha, of course, didn't purposefully neglect Jesus. She simply allowed other things to take the priority and push him out.
But there is hope. Jesus will take us, just like he did Martha, and show us that we need him. That we need to take a break and bask in HIS presence. We need to get spiritually refreshed so that we can be physically ready to face the world with Him by our side. So put the music on, put your feet up, light those candles, grab your Bible and silence that rose of yours so that you can realign yourself with our Creator who is always there to give us peace and strength to make it; not week to week or month to month, but day to day, minute to minute, and second to second.
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