At the Home of Martha and Mary – Luke 10:38-42 (NIV)
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one.[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
We are all given the same amount of time each day to live it in any way we choose (for the most part).
Twenty-four hours to determine how we will spend our time. Mmmm….
Approaching the age of becoming a senior, the purpose of my life is taking on greater urgency.
Old Age / Senior Adult (Definition)
The last period of human life, now often considered to be the years after 65. Whew! A little ways to go.
In most cases, dogs can be considered senior between five and ten years old. Jeff and I recently watched the movie, A Dog’s Purpose,* a family-friendly movie with some human-life applications. Bailey is reincarnated several times, becoming a different breed each time, and finds himself in various homes. He keeps asking the question, “What is my purpose?” “Is it eating, playing, sleeping, working as a police canine?” At the end of the movie, Bailey returns to one of his original owners, the one who loves Bailey simply for being his companion.
So, what’s important in your life?
For me, at this stage in life, spending quality and quantity time with family and friends, and everyone else God brings into my life is very important.
I never considered myself an extravert because I enjoy my “personal space.” Space to simply relax, read, work in my yard, meditate on God’s word, etc. I don’t typically like large gatherings as much as I do just hanging out with a few people who want to simply hang out with me…just to be in the moment, sharing life together.
Martha often gets a bad rap because Jesus seems to reprimand her for her busyness. I don’t think Jesus thought any more of Mary than he did Martha, but simply made the distinction of what is “better.” Taking care of the necessities of life is important, but taking care of relationships is better.
I don’t let anything keep me from sitting at the feet of Jesus during my morning prayer and Bible study. Spending time with Jesus is my highest priority. It took a few years and a few more reprimands from the LORD before I realized what a joy it is to simply live in the moment with my God and Savior.
The Scripture clearly shows us where Martha was amiss. She was “distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.”
What are the distractions in your life, that keep you from “the better?”
Earnestly evaluate your daily/weekly activities. How are you spending the gift of time God is entrusting to you? As you reflect upon these, you will no doubt be able to determine what’s important in your life.
Holding God’s hand most often leads to holding the hands and hearts of family and friends.
*For movie review of A Dog’s Purpose, go to Focus on the Family’s Plugged-In: http://www.pluggedin.com/movie-reviews/a-dogs-purpose
Holding His Hand 