What is a Martha mindset? I’m referring to Martha, the sister of Mary and Lazarus in the Luke 10:38.
38As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40But 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, 42but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Martha is concerned that her sister Mary is not helping her as she prepares for Christ’s visit. Mary is concerned only about what the Master has come to say. While she realizes that there are important things to be done around the home–the preparation of meals, the cleaning, the sweeping–she realizes that she needs to hear from Jesus even more than she needs to attend to these concerns. These things are important, but an audience with Jesus Christ is more important to her right then.
Martha is ticked off because her sister isn’t helping her. Yes, Jesus has come to visit, but there are things to be done! There is a proper way to do them, and they need to be done now!
Have you ever been in the place of ministry when the details of getting the ministry accomplished, or the tatical handling of the program take a back seat to the message of Jesus Christ? That’s what I call a “Martha Mindset”. You’re worried about the details so much that you miss the blessing you’re supposed to be getting in the meantime.
Martha takes her concern to Jesus, and Jesus chides her that she worries too much! Jesus gives her a gentle rebuke to look for the most important thing.
How many times do we get so caught up in handling the work of the ministry that we forget the actual work of the ministry? As mothers and women, we tend to always want to handle the details–but do we lose the message in the meantime?
Do we lose what the Lord is trying to tell us, when we focus on the minutiae rather than whether or not we are spreading the Gospel of Christ?
Take some time today to prioritize your focus and NOT get distracted by the details!
