Mary and Martha

I’ve also been thinking a lot about Mary and Martha.  Martha was so busy doing good things but it caused her to be anxious and upset.  Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and soaked up his presence.  Jesus said that Mary had chosen the better part. 

In the Bible study I attend we have been reading Philippians and in chapter 3 Paul says that all his accomplishments are rubbish.  What he really wants is to know God.  I can get so frantic trying to always do my best.  I want to please God and others and myself and fulfill all my high perfectionist requirements.  This, however, is not what God intended.  He doesn’t want me to be so busy doing good works that I am running around like a chicken with my head cut off.  There are enough people like that in the world.  God just wants me to sit at his feet, soak up his presence and be with him.  Isn’t the best thing to get to know Christ?

When I think about my friends, I don’t want them to be so busy doing things for me that I don’t get to spend quality time with them.  I just want to sit with them and get to know them, enjoying being in their presence.  And if I think about it, aren’t I most attracted to the Mary’s in my life – people who are calm and have the glow of God because they spend so much time in his presence?  I want to be a Mary that the students at GES can see as someone they can talk to because I’m not so busy.  I want to be someone who has the glow of God because I constantly sit in his presence. 

I never picture Jesus in a hurry.  He was never in a rush to do good things and meet everyone’s expectations.  In fact, most of his miracles were done on the way to places.  He had time to stop and visit with people, to eat dinner and stay at their house.  He had time to talk to people and I picture him being a fairly relaxed person without a lot on his schedule.  He allowed God to direct the events in his life rather than having his daily planner be so full there was no room for God to move him.  When you know really busy people, even if they are busy doing good things, they are not someone you are attracted to go and talk to.  In fact, I think that our good works don’t have as much impact as just being and building relationships do.  People who have time for me, to pour into me and show me God, those are people that have impacted me the most.  I want to do the same for the students here at GES.

God just wants us to sit in his presence.  He wants us to spend time with him, talk to him all the time, and share life with him.  He wants to be our constant companion, the first one we go to, the one we share everything with.  He wants us to sit at his feet, breathe, relax, let go of all our stress and anxiety and rest in his presence, soaking up his love and peace.