Feb. 7, 2008 - Martha's world, Mary's heart
I have been reading Joanna Weaver's book Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. I'm beginning to think that she is a spy and wrote this book about me! How does she know me so well, having never met me? it is astounding to see my very feelings reflected back to me from the pages of her book. I'm such a Martha, so cumbered about with the daily tasks of life . . . not to mention trying to measure up to the world's standards for raising educated children. Actually, I think that this might've been one of Martha's issues: What would people think of her if she didn't provide the perfect meal for her guests? What will colleges and the universities think of me if I don't perform to their standards in the education of my children?
One of the things I like in this book is Weaver's list of the "Three Deadly Ds of Destruction":
- Distraction (editor's note: Eyes Off of God)
- Discouragement (editor's note: Eyes on Circumstances)
- Doubt (editor's note: Lack of Trust)
She speaks such truth when she says "when we are distracted and discouraged, tired and overwhelmed, there is not better place to go than to our Father. He alone has what we need." Oh, let the tears flow! Not my husband, not my friends, not anything or anyone else in this world, save the Lord, has what we need! But how do we get it? By prayer and fasting (Mark 9:29); asking, seeking, and knocking (Luke 11:9); praying with perseverance (Eph. 6:18); trusting Him and committing your way to Him (Psalm 37:4-6); waiting, hoping, and seeking Him (Lamentations 3:25-27); and recalling the promise that He will never leave nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).
Every day we have new compasion and mercy from God! Never do we have to live on yesterday's leftovers!
- Lamentations 3:22 It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. 24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
Each day brings new benefits from the Lord!
- Psalm 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.
- Psalm 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
- Psalm 116:12 What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?
Just think of how the Lord piles goodness, mercy, grace, and compassion on us day by day by day by day. It's never ceasing!
I hate it, but I have to confess that I am such a hearer of God's word! I wish that I were more obedient . . . or maybe it's that I wish I were more consistent in my obedience and in being a doer of His word! I think that's one area that I struggle with the most! The Bible says to trust in HIm, and I know that I can. And I try. I really, really do. But so often I get stuck in that vicious cycle of the three deadly Ds just by simply becoming distracted and discouraged! This is, I think, really just an extension of that Marthat way of thinking and living, because I am allowing circumstances and other distractions to cloud my vision and hinder me from moving forward.
There is a stretch of highway in Tennessee between Chattanooga and Knoxville that often becomes very hazardous to drive on because of fog. I've never had to drive through there during one of those times, but the warning lights are there and I see them every time we go on vacation to Pigeon Forge. I can only imagine what it might be like to have to navigate the highway in conditions which do not allow you to see very far in front of you. I would be inclined to pull over to the side of the road until it passes, but I don't think that's very wise. I'm sure you would likely get run over.
A distracted and discouraged life is very much the same. Those circumstances and situations that distract us and bring us down only serve to detour us and keep us from moving forward in life. When we focus on the troubles of life (like the fog on the highway), it's easy to want to just pull over and wait until it passes. But that is so dangerous and no good is likely to come from it.
As I mentioned about that stretch of road, there are lights guiding the travelers along the road. I'm sure that they must be constantly eyeing the roadside for the flashing lights to help them safely navigate the roads. And, as is a safe driving practice, hopefully they do slow their speed down to a something reasonably safe. In other words, there is a change in the way they are driving and their focus becomes something other than the fog. If they kept at the same pace and focused only on the fog, there would likely be an accident somewhere along the way. Eventually, as the day wears on and the sun burns off the clouds, the road clears and becomes safe once more.
Just like those drivers, those of us who tend to be Marthas must adjust our focus, slow it down, but never pull over and quit! Instead of flashing lights though, we must look to our loving Father and His word to guide us along a path filled with distractions. We have to adjust our focus, allowing the Holy Spirit to be our guide when we tend to allow life to take our eyes and hearts off of worshipping our Saviour. And when we do, just like the sun that drives off the fog and gives a clear road to drive on, He will burn off the distractions and discouragement, allowing us to once more be able to live a life of worship.
The frustrating part about being a Martha is that we are attached to and love life on this earth, LOVING to work and to serve! Is it wrong to work and serve? Certainly not. But we have to first seek Him, and He has promised that all else will fall into place (Matthew 6).
I wonder what things cumber you today. Lord knows I could name quite a few of my own for you right now. What I found out about being cumbered is that it can mean:
- hindered
- to clutter up
Just like a foggy road can hinder a driver from getting to the place she needs to be, what is it that is cluttering up your life, slowing you down and holding you back from seeking that needful thing? What things are reducing your effectiveness as a Christian? When something is cluttered, it means that it is filled or covered with things that impede movement. When I look at my own life, I see that, indeed, it is quite cluttered with things that keep me from moving to the feet of my Saviour to worship Him. I am kept from that needful, that necessary thing to keeps me from crashing!
Did you know that when something is needful that it is essential? Essential is a very interesting word that has many meanings and implications. For example, something that is essential is so important as to be indispensable, being incapable of removal without destroying the thing itself, or vital (something that is necessary to a thing's continued existence or operation). When Jesus told Martha that what Mary was seeking was needful, He wasn't joking around!
I love what the dictionary says about vital, which, by the way, is the word for life. Anyway, it is to be concerned with or necessary to the maintenance of life and full of life and vigor. But isn't it wonderful to read that it means tending to renew or refresh the living? Isn't that what we are doing each morning when we begin the day seeking Him out for a time of personal worship? Isn't that what is happening when we gather with other believers to sing, to pray, and to have the Word of Life broken by the preacher? We are being filled up, we are being nourished, we are being filled with life, we are being refreshed so that we might come away being able to serve as we are want to do!
When life drags us down . . . when we allow life to drag us down . . . what is it that we seek out to sooth it over? No matter what it is, unless it is that good thing that Mary chose, we will struggle with being truly fuctional! There will be no life, no vigor! We are failing to maintain! When will we learn that we cannot work for and serve the Lord until we have sought out the Lord himself? How ironic that we have to be filled up with Him in order to go out and serve Him.
May you be a Mary today.
Yours in Christ,
Julia Lynne
© 2008 Julia Faulkner
Priceless Woman Ministries
Thoughtful thoughts
Feb. 9, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by OldPathsMom
I don't have time to read your blog right now, although I can already tell that I must have a copy of the Mary/Martha book! I have a question for you.
I am trying to get my 'sermon' (haha) ready for our mother-daughter banquet and I want to do it on the theme "Blooming where you're planted" Who knows about that better than me??? lol I want to talk about three subjects. Blooming in your marriage, mothering and ministry (the home). How do I put this together so that it is *encouraging* to all and not *discouraging* to those that may not stay at home with their children? You know this Yankee has an all or nothing, love it or hate it personality. Can you suggest anything?
Feb. 15, 2008 - mary/martha
Posted by Anonymous
I, too, am reading the Mary/Martha book with a group of friends, and we are all humbled by the writings and reminders of what is best or vital for life...and keep hoping I get to the place of being wholly with Him, and not be distracted by all that is around me. Thanks for the blog!
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