Perhaps you have felt the same way. You've known the Lord your whole life, and yet you haven't found the peace and fulfillment you've always longed for. So you've stepped up the pace, hoping that in offering more service, somehow you will merit more love and respect. You volunteer for everything: you sing in the choir, you teach Sunday school, you took care of a group of teenagers, you visit the nursing home weekly. And yet you find yourself staring into the night and wondering if this is all there is.
Or perhaps you've withdrawn from service. You've gone the route I've described above and, frankly, you've had it. You've stopped volunteering, stopped saying yes. No one calls anymore. No one asks anymore. You're out of the loop and glad for it. And yet the peace and quiet holds no peace and quiet. The stillness hasn't led to the closer walk with God you've hoped for, just a sense of resentment. Your heart feels leaden and cold. You go to church; you go through the motions of worship, then leave and go home the same. And at night, sometimes you wonder, "What is the good news? Can someone tell me? I can't remember."
Or maybe you are somewhere caught or inter-woven in between. You've been here and done that, but there is this shadow of a dream, or a state of life and mind that feels like it is almost within your grasp but never attainable. You see somebody going to someone else, something got tied or messed up, somewhere you should be.
"What is the good news? Can someone tell me? I can't remember."
The good news is woven through the New Testament in a grace-filled strand that shine especially bright in the Gospel stories of Mary and Martha. The message is this: 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." And 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.
Catch that: Mary sat at his feet. She didn't move a muscle. She listened. She didn't come up with clever responses or a doctrinal thesis. Her gift was availability. (In the end, I believe that was Martha's gift as well.)
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". (Matt 11:28-29)
Jesus invites us to come and rest, to spend time with him in this incredible Living Room Intimacy. Intimacy that allows us to hear our Father's voice and discern our Father's will. Intimacy that so fills us with his love and his nature that it spills out to our dry, thirsty world in Kitchen Service.
In the Living Room. That's where it all begins. Down at his feet.
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Warning signs of a Martha overload. Five unrealistic expectations that can contribute to servant burnout, can you see yourself in the following false beliefs?
1. There should not be any limits to what I can do.
2. I have the capacity to help everyone.
3. I am the only person available to help.
4. I must never make a mistake.
5. I have the ability to change another person.
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Five strategies for fighting discouragement:
1. Allow for rest stops (naps, sleep a little earlier)
2. Get a new point of view (take a few steps back and ask God to help you see his perspective in your situation)
3. Have patience (easy to get discouraged when things don't go as planned. But if you've committed your concerns to the Lord, you can be sure he is at work, even when you don't see his hand) Rom 8:28
4. Mingle. (discouragement feeds off isolation, get out of your house, visit some friends. It's amazing how good ol' fellowship can lift our spirits & chase away the blues.)
5. Set the timer. (ok, so things aren't so good, I've found it helpful to set the oven timer and allow ten mins for a good cry. But when the buzzer sounds, I blow my nose, wipe my eyes, and surrender my situation to the Lord so I can move on)
and this video for all my friends who 'love' miley, haha. cut the cheesy moves, it's a good song really.
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