The difference between Marys and Marthas

A question that I heard at church the other day was, "where is a place in your heart that you are experiencing tension?" Because the conviction of the Holy Spirit creates some tension in our spirit.

Today, I asked myself this question and this was my answer: I realize that the tension I am feeling is whether or not I am going to be more of a Mary or a Martha (Luke 10:38-42), especially as it pertains to our approach to ministry. The Martha spirit (in ministry) is marked by:

• wanting to feel in control
• tackling the to do list before sitting at Jesus' feet (or sitting at Jesus' feet only to get something from Him, like direction on what to do at bible study in my case)
• wanting to have a neat and tidy plan, to have clear cut goals and programs and curriculums
• "serving" the Lord by doing so many things for Him, but not sitting at his feet first and more, or not asking Him if He even wants you to be doing all of those things.
• trying to get the Mary's to get off their butts and help us already! We have to DO something.
• not genuinely to the core wanting to depend recklessly on the Holy Spirit. That is hard and scary and outside of the comfort zone.

By all means, Martha is impressive! She gets the servant hearted award every year at church. She receives spiritual badges of honor left and right for her work. She does it all. But if she is not a Mary behind closed doors, her work is for naught. And when the Holy Spirit convicts her (ie. me:), she will respond, "But Lord, don't you care that I have all of this work to do?" To which God will always respond, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Oh Lord, help me to be a Mary. As one of my favorite worship songs says, "I want to sit at your feet, drink from the cup in your hands. Lay back against you and breathe, feel your heart beat. This love is so deep, it's more than I can stand. I melt in your peace, it's overwhelming." Mary does the only thing that is needed! The only thing that will last.

The Mary spirit (in ministry) is marked by:

• spending more time in prayer than planning
• spending time at Jesus' feet because she loves Him and loves to be in His presence more than anything else!
• staying at his feet while she serves, only doing what she sees her Father doing.
• living before His face alone, not caring about the spiritual badges of honor or what others think of her
• setting her mind and heart on things above, on the only thing that is needed: intimacy with Him
• walking in peace and joy, experiencing the easy yoke and light burden of casting her cares upon Jesus.
• faith that God will provide for all of her needs when she seeks Him and His Kingdom first, especially to prepare for that next bible study.

How God must long for more hearts like Mary. For more of his children to sit at his feet and trust Him. To love him above all else and know Him as the treasure of greatest worth. To know how faithful and big He is. How powerfully would His Spirit move in and through those hearts. How much more fruit for His Kingdom would those hearts bear!

Mary will get her cake and eat it too, for she will get God and bear more eternal fruit than Martha could ever conjure up on her own. I have seen this in my dear husband's life. He is so much more like Mary, and I have literally had this Martha exchange with God and Trent where I say, "But Lord (and Trent), don't you care that we have all of this work and planning to do!?" To which he always has and always will respond, "Natalie, you are worried and upset about many things. But only one thing is needed. Trent has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from him." Oh Lord, please help me be more like Mary and my dear husband Trent!! Thank you for showing me the truth of this passage in my husband. You truly are faithful!