I am going to ask 10 questions for the next several weeks. I would love to hear what your answers are!

Here is the first one!

1. In the Mary and Martha story (Luke 10), Jesus rebukes Martha for being distracted with much serving. Where do you find that you get distracted and your eyes are just on your tasks and your heart becomes disengaged?

Thanks for thinking, praying, and answering!

In Christ,

Trisha

What is the “Good Portion?”

Often distracted with much serving like Martha, I stop worshiping. I can turn inward and worry or get busy with work when I could be choosing Jesus, the Good Portion. When laser-focused on tasks, my heart loses sight of worship. My body may be active but my heart is disengaged.

So, what is the “good portion?” Many times in scripture, portion is associated with heritage, right, inheritance, or simply a portion of land. Here are some examples:

• “The Lord is my portion; I promise to keep your words” (Psalm 119:57).
• “I cry to you, O LORD; I say, You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living” (Psalm 142:5).

In Luke 10, Mary chose to focus her attention on the good portion–Jesus. Martha, though, had her focus elsewhere. According to John Calvin, “Martha by distracting her attention, and undertaking more labor than was necessary, deprived herself of the advantage of Christ’s visit.”

For the last few years (as a repentant Martha) I have been asking God: What does it look like to choose the good portion in my work? Can my work be worship?

What is more important?

Every day God gifts me opportunities to learn this through motherhood. Distractions, needs and simple demands for my attention from those around me require me to choose what’s most important. I can either push through my agenda, or pray for discernment to see the good portion in each moment and cheerfully pursue it instead

Today, after returning home from an errand, I had one hour to clean up, make lunch, get my older three children to get back to their school work, and put my three-year-old down for a nap by 1:00 when a visitor would arrive. The clock and the list of things to do met me at the door and I set out to achieve my goals for the hour.

Then I saw that one of my sons was visibly distraught from a conflict that he’d had when we were out on errands. My heart sank. “Seriously?” I thought. “Now? No! I have to clean the kitchen and prepare lunch!” I felt frustrated and interrupted. My plan was now competing with my son.

Redemptive thoughts began to fill my mind. Emotional interest and willingness to pursue my son replaced my agenda to accomplish. His little heart is more important than getting my stuff done. We ended up talking for forty-five minutes. As the Holy Spirit gave me direction on what was more important in that moment, my heart was content to focus differently. Choosing the “good portion” of God in that moment was cheerfully submitting to that moment.

My heart is so easily swept away by my agendas, desires and plans. While ambition and hard work can be a strength, it can also be a temptation to prioritize sinfully. If I would have chosen to clean my kitchen, make lunch, and focus my attention on other needs first, like Martha I would’ve missed the pleasure of choosing the “good portion.” Those times reveal my lack of flexibility and stubborn heart.

A moment-by-moment choice

Choosing Jesus is an ongoing, moment-by-moment dependence on the Holy Spirit to give me confidence and clarity on where to focus my heart’s attention. Where do you find that you aren’t flexible and declare your agenda as most important? Who gets “missed” as a result?

In this sermon, Pastor Mark teaches about how in Luke chapter 10, Mary and Martha respond differently to Jesus. This story was part of my repentance 4 years ago and has continued to be a foundational in my blog. I am thankful to Pastor Mark for communicating it well!

Perhaps, you practically and mentally live out a rich understanding of calling in thoughtful worship by prioritizing your roles and tasks with humility and repentance…?

Well…Most of us want to live out of a Godly vision for the details of our lives, but we find ourselves off course–straying from that passion and conviction. Our attention swerves off the road and we forget where we were headed. We lose perspective and our attention grows lazy and unintentional.

Does your attention fit with God’s love and plan for you on a daily basis?

Somehow, my attention gets distracted and near-sighted. Like Martha is in  Luke 10, I can lose sight of the big picture and my eyes only see what is right in front of me. Even worse, with whatever is right in front of me, I grumble. My attention is a signal for what I worship, like a flashing warning sign, and my heart’s distraction is blaring.

Recently, my road of repentance has been an increased awareness of a wordly/sinful/idolatrous pre-occupation with my appearance. Which is sinful vanity. Healthy habits such as nutrition, exercise, and beauty have taken up too much space in my thoughts. I’ve given too much attention to these things and sinfully allowed these streams of ideas  and lies into my heart and furthermore worshipped myself in it. Too much attention to these thoughts and actions has become idolatry and worship of myself.

The “loops” in my head reveal what I desire in my heart.

Behind our actions are motivations, thoughts, patterns of behavior that reveal either our rebellion OR redemption in Christ. For me with the vanity issues, I have allowed those lies and my own sin to become such familiar territory that I will willingly dwell on those desires more than gratitude to God for who he is.

Like addiction, attention is a habit of thinking, believing and continues to motivate our actions. Attention is what we are cultivating in our minds. Attention shows us what we value, believe, and fight for.

As the Holy Spirit broke through the noise of my distracted attention, I am beginning to see the idolatry and deeply grieve my sin. I am starting to see traces of redemption in the way that I think about my body and health. I am growing in gratitude and grumbling less. Instead of comparing my body to others, which is envy and covetousness– I am praying that I would be thankful for what God has given me.  As I exercise, I am desiring to worship Jesus by stewarding my body, like I desire to take care of my family.  My attention is being redeemed.

Renewing our minds is something only the Holy Spirit can do. We can cling to that hope and do not lose heart. As God reveals attention to sinful distractions, I can trust Jesus to love me through it. I can repent of my wandering heart and praise God that He is bringing a worshipful response to what Jesus has done for me.

We are always suffering in some way and we are always sinning in some way. Our very nature is sinful and our interaction with the world and other sinners brings suffering into our lives, daily. Being a Christian is living with the reality of both sin and suffering and Seeing and Savoring Jesus as our Savior and Redeemer in both. Thankfully, our identity is neither sinner or sufferer. It is in Christ that we find our hope, strength, and identity. Love incarnate comes down to rescue us  in the midst of both sin and suffering.

When I am suffering, I am tempted to grumble. Like the Israelites grumbled at God, displeased with his provision, my discontent heart throws a fit at God. Whether it is being overwhelmed with my schedule and tasks or being heavily burdened down by conflicts and relationship strain; I start to enter the pity party zone and snuggle up to grumbling. Feels like a nag in my heart, robbing peace and joy in Christ. Grumbling is often masked with prayer requests, tears, and sharing for the sake of raw authenticity. We think we are groaning, but we often are grumbling.

So, then– what is a Godly response to suffering?

2 Corinthians 5:2a
For in this tent we groan,longing to put on our heavenly dwelling.

We often are de-sensitized to the drama of suffering. From stories of rape, incest, betrayal, natural disasters, divorce, abuse, whatever it is– we respond with as much love as we know how to give. Each of our stories are marked with suffering. Even now, we can see suffering’s stain on our daily lives. Whether it be sickness or financial strain, how can we reconcile suffering with faith?

I need a savior for my past sin and suffering, my current sin and suffering, and my future sin and suffering.

Groaning is a response to the reality of how broken our world is and how desperate we are for God’s presence and power. We groan when we are in need. We groan when we are calling out for help. Our HOLY and FAITHFUL God hears our cries, our groaning.

Romans 8:22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.

Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

In contrast, grumbling is displeasure, discontentment, and flat out complaining to God. Remember the whining heart of Martha at Jesus, tattle telling on Mary in Luke 10. She asked for help from Jesus, but she did so through grumbling and her mind set on her own agenda.

Grumbling isn’t just putting out negative vibes. It is– when I say in my heart or out loud, God you aren’t good.. A Subtle Unbelief. God is slow to anger with my grumbling just like he was with the Israelites in the wilderness. God who is constantly and miraculously giving mercy is abounding in steadfast love.

We are called to this:

Philippians 2:14-16 Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

There is real suffering and pain. We need to humble ourselves and cry out to our savior, asking him to show us how to worship him in our responses to suffering. I stand with assurance that Jesus is my redeemer and I am loved. Responding to suffering– is an opportunity to enjoy Jesus and point to his grace. I can worship Jesus by observing his suffering, his humility, enduring cross. And, in some way by my groaning in suffering I am sharing in his suffering.

Won’t you call out in weakness to God for help, a deep down groan for aid? Will you resist the temptation to throw a fit in your heart either in silence or aloud? Groaning is honest, humble, and a reflection of our belief that God is faithful to walk with us in suffering. Groaning is worshipful, because it magnifies God’s holy character and our need for Him. Our weakness is obvious and our joy is more abundant. Groaning is coming face to face with Christ’s ultimate suffering in our place and the grace he gives us to suffer for His glory.

In extreme contrast, the Controller is obsessive, busy, and demonstrates a rigid lack of flexibility.  Controllers can appear to be disciplined, productive, and virtuous. Often leaders, their lives are characterized by multitasking, vision, lists, and accomplishment. They see life as orderly chaos and their job is to orchestrate the order.

Well, you guessed it. If you know me personally or through this blog– you’ve guessed which extreme I am the closest to. Yep– the Controller. My sin with control is mostly subtle but occasionally the desire to control my environment leaks anger and anxiety like a deadly poison– affecting my family, friends, and anyone who is the obstacle to my completed task. Control hardens my heart to hear the guidance of the Holy Spirit in my day.

Ellen Vaughn, in the book, Time Peace has covered this in greater detail and has confronted me Biblically. With her prodding, I am face to face with my sin of controlling. Don’t get me wrong, a competent and organized life lived in humility is a precious opportunity to reflect Jesus. However, the more I am redeemed by the blood of Jesus, I am realizing my deep need for sanctification in even the best areas of my life. The Controller sin, in my heart is forgiveable, thankfully.

Our dear sister, Martha in Luke, chapter 10, was a controller. She lost sight of her aim to worship Jesus, and instead her goal became the task, her work, the preparation of the meal. Jesus loved her and spoke truth to her that I can only imagine humbled her competence (her ability to accomplish much) until she died. I wish that I could spend the day with Martha and ask her questions about her heart that day. I am grieved that I can relate so so much, to the distraction of being more concerned with tasks than worship so often. I can relate to the tattle telling heart that resents when others experience a freedom to engage and flex on tasks.

The Controller can eventually relax. Only by submission (yes, submission) to Christ. He can redeem to ambitious heart that seeks to get things done. As this heart transaction happens (almost daily) for me, I see how precious grace actually is and how near my Heavenly Father is to me. I can calm down, enjoy the freedom to be flexible, and worship Jesus in and through my work more quickly.

I can trust Jesus to Lord over my life, arrange it all. He has it all under control. Martha had God in the flesh pointing out her sin of controlling and her misplaced worship. Jesus was gracious to her and is the same Lord being gracious to me. In his grace, I find my hope that he can change my heart. I stand in joy and belief that as my heart is broken over sin, Jesus’ death and resurrection– I can trust Jesus to sanctify me.

I probably will always (given my personality) tend towards selfish ambition and the desire to control my environment. Jesus is changing me. And no, the opposite of who I am isn’t repentance, necessarily. I can be controlled by the Love of Jesus, rather than Me being the controller.

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised  (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).

For more on Martha and Mary, see more of my articles here. Just search “Martha” in the search box, if this link doesn’t work for you.

Heartily:
1. In a cordial manner; with warmth and sincerity:
2. With zest or enthusiasm.

Colossians 3:23-25 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

Do I work- Heartily? What is my heart like when I work? What am I thinking when I am working? Sometimes, I am thinking how good it feels to have modern appliances to load dishes and clothing, other times I am thinking complainer thoughts like: “is it really possible to dirty this much…URG!”

Thankful thoughts cultivate a heart towards “working heartily.”
When Mike and I are around the house and getting on each others nerves a bit, we have over the years played a very decisive game we made up, called, the ” Thankfulness Game.” We take turns saying things that we are thankful for. God enables us to see Him in our surroundings as blessings and changes our hearts to acknowledge him, which is WORSHIP.
I try to play the thankfulness game or prayers of gratitude when overwhelmed with duties, tasks, jobs at home. As God sees my struggle and my desire to depend on Him, He enables my heart to worship Him in it. As I observe God in my work, my praying heart starts to rest and is more peaceful.

Working hard doesn’t always produce a heart that works Heartily.
Imagine Martha in Luke 10, working hard, fast, and bitter. God is the one we work Heartily for, not for approval of others. You can have a hard core work ethic, busting in for someone or yourself and not recognize God at all. Sincere worship is the dependence on an enjoyment of Jesus in all aspects of our lives, even in work!
My prayer is that as God continues to show me my sin with work, that my heart be FULL of thankfulness for hands to work, eyes to see, and the grace from God that enables any fruit that comes from my hands…

Are you Heartily working? Are you prone to grumble and complain when you work? How could gratitude in the mundane tasks of life increase your worship to Jesus?

For a few years, I have talked about a woman named Margaret. She is a fictitious woman I’ve made up, trying to understand the Martha and Mary story in Luke 10. I jokingly call the blend of both Martha and Mary “Margaret,” assuming that there must be a gal that is both a hard worker and a worshiper. My tag line in the Margaret story has been: “Sure, Mary had it right–setting at the Lord’s feet listening to his teaching–but hey! JESUS had to eat!”

But I am starting to grasp that Margaret isn’t the answer. I am starting to understand what Jesus meant when he said, “Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken from her.”

Martha:

All of my Christian life, I have heard about the differences between Martha and Mary. Often it is suggested that Martha is the stressed out sister concerned about tasks. She can’t relax because “there is much to be done.” Martha works hard but seems to lack the peace and worship that goes with working heartily unto the Lord. When God himself is a guest in her home she can’t even handle the pressure to perform the tasks. It seems as though that is all she is concerned with–the preparations.

Check her out:

Luke 10:38-42 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Martha is distracted.

Distracted. Hmmm. Who does this resonate with? Me! For sure. I often find myself BUSY with much serving. Distracted from what? Why was Martha, or any of us, distracted? We think that what we’re doing is most important: the tasks and preparations. Jesus told Martha that she was anxious and troubled about many things. What was she troubled by? I can answer for myself. When I am like Martha–when I am not worshipping in work but JUST working–I am busy, frustrated, fast, and resentful. I resent it if my husband is in the room and not helping out in some way. My heart is troubled by the tasks yet to be done. I’m ticked that I have to do it all. Maybe I’m trying to enjoy the preparations. Yet inside my heart I’m looking for any opportunity to complain that I am going it alone. How foolish and self-focused I can be.

Martha is a tattle teller.

My kids do this all the time. They get frustrated and sin in their anger with their siblings because some offense has been done. Most of the time the other sibling has not sinned against the tattler. The tattler just wants their way. Can’t you just picture Martha quietly working, yet raging in her heart? Her rage got the best of her. She wanted Mary to help her! Mary just sat there and listened to Jesus. Martha may have started out with a pure heart. She may have had a desire to be hospitable to the Lord, make him food, serve him. So when did her desire to serve turn to sin?

Again, imagine yourself, imagine me. I am working in the kitchen. I start preparing, and my heart is delighted that I have all the ingredients to make a delicious dinner for my family. I am chopping and peaceful. My husband walks in, kisses my cheek. He goes about his business. My kids start getting loud in the living room. I stop chopping and attend to their arguments. Then the baby cries. She needs to be breastfed. The preparations for this amazing meal have to stop.

Enter my depravity. Why can’t I just get that done? Why do these kids need me too? Oh, but I love my children… Why does it take so long to make a dinner! I wish I could just focus. I say a prayer while nursing my baby and another riot breaks out among the other kids. My husband deals with that one. Thank you! Ok, back to busy preparations. I turn on some music to lighten the attitude in the air, denying the war in my heart. The kids start dancing in the kitchen. I take a break to dance too. They see this opportunity to ask me for a snack. Can’t they see I am making an amazing dinner!? If I could just finish it, they would be happy! I would be happy! Why?

Question — what God am I serving?!

The war that was raging in me suggests that the god I am serving is The God of Accomplishment and Tasks. I am worshipping the God of self — me.

Martha was worshipping herself, not Jesus.

At some point, Martha transferred her worship from God to Self. God was actually in HER LIVING ROOM. I can’t believe her! How could she do this??? She could’ve set at His feet too and worshipped him, yet the war in her heart raged. She thought serving busily was the right thing to do. She eventually resented her sister. This sin developed because Martha’s heart wasn’t worshipping in work.

As I just shared, I do the same thing. I tattle-tell in my heart. I complain to God for the people in the house that take me from the more important things, the tasks. Martha complained to the Lord in person. But I do it too–in my heart. I have the same divided heart, tattle-telling while thinking I am serving with a pure heart.

The easy and false remedy for this heart issue would be simple behavior change: abandon tasks and enjoy relationship. Just throw preparations and work out the door and “Let the Good Times Roll!” Chill out, play, enjoy one another, read all the time, listen to preaching, sing worship songs, and give affection to everyone all the time, without doing tasks. I don’t think that is what Jesus is saying.

Martha didn’t choose the good portion.

Jesus told Martha, “but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” He was saying Mary made a choice. This is huge.

It is common to make this about Mary’s personality, thinking of her as “relationship gal.” She sets at Jesus’ feet and she probably is the kind of gal that loves people well. It is easy to imagine the stereotype of a good time gal that works when it is necessary, but has a lot of friends and would choose going out on the town to party instead of getting five loads of laundry done and the floors mopped. We will talk about Mary later, but my point is that Martha could’ve made a choice. Do I make the right choices?

I am not promoting a legalistic work model for a woman, here. By confessing my own sin, I desire to provoke other hearts to see. To provoke hearts to see how double-minded we are when we work.

Martha had an opportunity to worship in her work. JESUS was actually in her house!!!! I so wish the story went down in Luke like this:

“Martha was busy with many preparations as she listened to the Lord. In her heart she worshipped him for His enabling her to enjoy her work as an act of service to him. Martha offered the fruit of her work in her heart and the Lord ate and was satisfied. Even as Mary sat at the Lord’s feet, Martha was not resentful but grateful to have this opportunity to serve the Lord Christ. She worshipped with her hands, with her heart.”

But alas, the Lord saw fit to have another story — the true story of Martha’s heart — her battle with work. It is my battle too. I long to worship Jesus in my work. The Reminder of Grace is that my Lord is slow to anger and abounding in love for me. He knows my struggle. He knows my personality tendencies. He is loving me graciously in revealing to me how to work hard to His Glory and not to my own.

Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha: she sat at Jesus Christ’s feet and listened to his teaching. She chose the good portion, which would not be taken away from her. In Luke 10, I have read so many times this story and have taught on Martha- here is a link to the article, I wrote on Martha and her distraction: http://voxpopnetwork.com/reformingthefeminine/2008/02/09/margaret/

So, what did Mary get so right? Jesus said, ” Mary has chosen the good portion and it will not be taken away from her.”

Mary was open and flexible: Martha and Mary lived in the same home in Bethany. Mary and Martha both had to be hard workers to keep their home. They were hospitable and loved Jesus. When, Jesus entered their home, on the spur of the moment, Mary knew in her heart that listening to his teaching and setting at his feet would be the good choice. She was blessed in this act of worship.

Mary responds with passion:In Luke 10, when Jesus was in her home, she quickly responded with attentive ears and a posture of worship, setting at his feet listening to God. And in John 11, Lazarus died. He was the brother of Martha and Mary, and Jesus loved them all. Lazarus had been sick and Jesus knew that he had died, while he was away. Martha went to find Jesus to tell him and he started walking towards Bethany (Jerusalem was just a couple miles away) and she stayed there until Martha came back to tell her that Jesus was asking for her. Mary jumped up and ran out to Jesus, who was in the same spot he was when talking with Martha on the road somewhere between Jerusalem and Bethany. The Jewish crowd that was with Martha and Mary while they were mourning was so moved by Mary’s jumping up to run out to Jesus, that they went too. When they all got to Jesus, Mary fell at Jesus’ feet. Her tears and their tears moved Jesus. And he wept too. How amazing. Her passion, her love, moved JESUS! He knew he would raise Lazarus, he had a plan because he loved them all. Yet, he still wept with them. This is huge for me as I walk with hurting people. Flying a victory banner over some-one’s pain doesn’t communicate love, weeping with them and reminding them of God’s sovereignty is love. Jesus embraced Mary’s mourning by also mourning. wow.

Mary is generous. In John 12, this is where the same Mary anoints Jesus with very expensive perfume. Her devoted sister faithfully serves a meal to Jesus, the back to life Lazarus, Jesus, and the disciples. Mary poured this perfume on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. Jesus’ response to Judas’ push-back on Mary’s actions, once again shows that Mary instead of selling this perfume to give the money to the poor she chose to be worshipful in choosing to anoint her God before his death. Jesus defended her actions in Luke 10 and here, making sure that those who complained about her actions, knew that she was making the good choice. Matthew and Mark say that she poured it on his head and feet. Wiping his feet with her hair was truly an act of worship with humility and devotion. I can’t imagine doing this. I hope that I would have ignored all of those people around and humbly worshiped my God. I am sad to say my struggle is caring too much what those near would think of me. Mary didn’t seem to care. She worshipped Jesus with a passionate decisiveness that I am longing to see lived out in my heart and life!

My world can shrink so easily to the size of my life, my tasks, my own pain. I feel like if I can consistently see the sovereignty of God and walk in the knowledge of God’s transcendent character, my fear of man will fade away and my passionate pursuit of God’s holiness will replace it. As I study Mary, I am encouraged to see a woman who at least a couple times worshiped Jesus with decisive, passionate, and humble responses.

Psalm 25 comes to mind when I pray for a heart to worship with passion and humility.

Psalm 25: 4 Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. 5Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. 6Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. 7Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me,for the sake of your goodness, O LORD! 8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.9He leads the humble in what is right,and teaches the humble his way. 10All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

For this in a song form: check out: www.marshillchurch.org/audio/Psalm25_Parsons_070610AM11.mp3

God is at work. This is one reason why I am blogging this topic to show the journey of my repentance, to process, to practice writing more, to share with strangers, to not be motivated for feedback, to ultimately give God the glory for any of my heart change.

I am a list maker. My outlook calendar usually just has appointments/meetings/outings on it. My daily list has a schedule for the day. Starting at 6 am and ending at 10- on my list are all the things I want to accomplish. The first things I usually put down are the house chores. Second, my exercise and reading goals for the day. Thirdly, I glance at the schedule and see if there is room for leisure, like a nap, or more reading…

ON SOME DAYS, I remember to put down on the list things like: play little people 30 minutes, shoot hoops with Henry, set up fort downstairs for boys, etc. I have been so busy in the last few weeks, I have neglected playing with my children. I can so easily go into caretaker mommie, that I only take care of them and don’t also enjoy them, thru play, and relationship. This is HUGE for me.

Remember, Martha’s sin, my sin? My default tendencies are just like Martha’s in Luke 10, to be distracted with much, busy, yet not choosing the “good portion” at the right time. I have countless opportunities throughout my day, to stop and choose the hearts of my kids. I don’t want to just “manage” my children and house. These moments when we giggle together, play a board game together, when I play dolls with my daughter and use pretend voices, run races in the yard together, have impromptu puppet shows, those are the moments that the kids treasure, and yet those are not my first desires. Surviving the day, as I have blogged is maintaining work so constantly so to not accrue house debt.

Honestly, God has to be yelling at me to sometimes HEAR HIS VOICE to stop working and play. So, tomorrow- on my daily list will be play with each child their choice of toy/game. I don’t believe that God wants me to legalistically place play on my list each day, yet the sin I am convicted of right now suggests that am aware of God’s grace to give me the gift of time with my children. God is renewing my desire and my satisfaction in worshipping Jesus in work and THIS is YET ANOTHER act of seeing God.

thank you, Jesus!

1. In a cordial manner; with warmth and sincerity: She greeted us heartily.

2. With zest or enthusiasm.

3. With great appetite or enjoyment: eat heartily.

Colossians 3:23-25 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

Do I work- Heartily? What is my heart like when I work? What am I thinking when I am working? Sometimes, I am thinking how good it feels to have rescources like appliances to load dishes and clothing, other times I am thinking “is it really possible to dirty this much???”

Thankfull thoughts cultivate a heart towards “working heartily.”

When Mike and I are around the house and getting on each others nerves a bit, we have over the years played a very decisive game we made up, called, the ” Thankfulness Game.” We take turns saying things that we are thankful for. God enables us to see Him in our surroundings as blessings and changes our hearts to acknowledge him, which is WORSHIP.

I try to play the thankfulness game in my head when overwhelmed with duties, tasks, jobs at home. As God sees my struggle and my desire to depend on Him, He enables my heart to worship Him in it. As I observe God in my work, my praying heart starts to rest and is more peaceful.

Working hard doesn’t always produce a heart that works Heartily.

Imagine Martha again, working hard, fast, and bitter. Heartily, again for GOD not for man’s approval or even our own approval.

My prayer is that as God continues to show me my sin with work, that my heart be FULL of thankfullness for hands to work, eyes to see, and the grace from God that enables any fruit that comes from my hands…

That I may work Heartily for Jesus.

Like Martha, I am prone to be distracted. May Christ find my attention resting in Him!

Glorious God,
It is the flame of my life to worship thee,
the crown and glory of my soul to adore thee,
heavenly pleasure to approach thee.
Give me power by the Spirit to help me worship now,
that I may forget the world,
be brought into the fullness of life,
be refreshed, comforted, blessed.
Give me knowledge of thy goodness
that I might not be over-awed by they greatness;
Give me Jesus, Son of Man, Son of God,
that I might not be terrified,
but drawn near with filial love,
with holy boldness;
He is my mediator, brother, interpreter,
branch, daysman, Lamb;
him I glorify,
in him I am set on high.
Crowns to give I have none,
but what thous hast given I return,
content to feel that everything is mine when it is thine,
and the more fully mine when I have yielded it to thee.
Let me live wholly to my Saviour,
free from distractions,
from carking care,
from hindrances to the pursuit of the narrow way.
I am pardoned through the blood of Jesus-
give me a new sense of it,
continue to pardon me by it,
may I come every day to the fountain,
and every day to be washed anew,
that I may worship thee always in spirit and truth.

I am not a spontaneous person. I tend to not exude a “laid back-sure-drop-by-anytime” attitude about guests. I schedule and plan any guests that are in my home. Whether it is a meal or a meeting with dessert and coffee, I plan. I plan the menu for dinner. Before they come, I freshen up the house, the kids, and light candles. I like having things prepared. If someone drops by, I am surprised, unprepared, you would probably catch me without make-up, and dishes in the sink! I put myself in Martha’s shoes and wonder if she was scrambling with out make-up and dishes all over her kitchen and no food made ahead of time for the surprise visit from GOD! I can imagine myself sweating, nervous, and very naturally succumbing to my “fear of man” –make a great impression here- self-induced pressure!

Worship is far from my heart when a visit is unplanned. My default is certainly shame. Shame for not having had imagined the possibility of a visit, kept my house perfect at all times, and a smile to boot! That shame is not from God. It is from my own heart, a heart full of fear of man, and Pride.

Having an attitude of worship unto Jesus when the unexpected visitor arrives (I think) might look like this:

• prepared in my heart to put others first
• preparing my heart by praying for an open heart and open home
• having systems and schedules for time management (my favorite)
• waking up early to have time to pray and prepare mind, heart, and body to serve
• having essentials for hospitality always on hand, already made, frozen baked goods, ingredients for a quick snack, breakfast, lunch, or dinner, fun drinks, fresh flowers
• one area of the house ready for conversation (picked up and clean)

Having a worshipful heart when serving others in my home- means I am selfless. I offer my heart, compentancies, and most important my ATTENTION to those who are in my home.

Reminders of Grace: God is not primarily concerned about how I prepare for expected or unexpected visitors. He cares about my heart in it. Am I worshipping Christ or myself as I serve? Thankfully, His grace abounds.

It is a matter of prayer and dependence on Christ that Martha can practically apply these changes in hospitality. Again, no behavior change cheaters! God sees our hearts. When people are in my home, my desire is to see them as a gift from God, to enjoy them, to treasure their words, to allow Christ to minister to them.

Part 1 is to talk about hospitality in the home where it is EXPECTED, not a suprise drop by. But, a planned dinner or meeting to host a friend or a stranger.

Scenario 1:
The meal is not prepared. You have in mind what you are making, yet all the preparations are undone. You wait until the guests arrive to start preparing. Immediately, the guests start asking how they can help you and they are hungry. The attention goes on you because you are the one with the plan. The attention doesn’t go on your guests, because now they are here to help you prepare- their meal. You are haried but trying to put out a calm vibe but it feels awkward. Dinner is served, later than anyone’s tummy wanted. Your guests ask you a few questions about your day. You answer. You are distracted now about cleaning up. Everyone is done eating, it was delicious! Everyone helps you clean up and you try to insert a few questions, because you know it is the “right thing to do”. You remind yourself that “good hosts” engage their guests. After cleaning up you may go to the living room for coffee and dessert and you find yourself looking at the toys on the floor and the hand smears on the window behind your guests head. With little eye contact, you try to enjoy conversation, yet you are distracted with much. Your guests leave. What was their experience? Did they feel- loved, engaged, pursued, served? Did your guests experience the love of Jesus? Was the experience worshipful? Did hearts resemble selfless service to Christ?

Scenario 2:
You have the meal ready, the house is clean and any tasks that would lure you are done ahead of time- so that your eyes and heart are glued to the friends in your home. The mess from dinner stays on the table and counter. The conversations are priority. You listen and pursue with questions and affections. They aren’t there to be impressed by you and your hosting and cooking abilities. Your guests are there to be served, loved, and pursued. But, even more, they are there for you to glean something from. If you view your guests as partners in the Gospel,your desire is to learn from them, not to impress them. This is a huge shift from entertaining in the home, verses true biblical hospitality. As Martha hosted Christ in her home, she had an opportunity to lay aside busy preparations, but to give herself, her attention to him. She missed it!

Oviously, no one fits squarely in either scenerio, but you get the point. In Scenario 1, the host is concerned with self, distracted, confused, and misses the gift of Christ. In Scenario 2, the host is tenderly available to the guest, open to the riches of Christ- offered up in conversation and an opportunity to serve others.

Both scenarios involve sinners- yet scenario two chooses the “good portion.”

My husband I and I often pray before people arrive that our conversations would glorify Jesus and that He would help us know how to love them well. When people leave and kids are in bed, my husband and I enjoy conversation with one another while we clean up from the evening. My heart is glad at the opportunity to serve the people in my home and it that, my heart is full of worship.

Do we see the guests being like Jesus in our home and cheerfully set at their feet, learning, serving, and enjoying them?

Do we worship Christ as we serve others in our home?

In some sense the most benevolent, generous person in the world seeks his own happiness in doing good to others, because he places his happiness in their good. His mind is so enlarged as to take them, as it were, into himself. Thus when they are happy, he feels it; he partakes with them, and is happy in their happiness.”
-Jonathan Edwards

Worshipping Christ in Hospitality:
-Loving others- equipped with divine grace
-Experiencing Christ in serving others
-Experiencing Christ through the gift of others
-Dependence on Christ
-Glory to Christ

Love is the overflow and expansion of joy in God, which gladly meets the needs of others. Love is not merely the passive overflow, but the agressive extension and expansion and completion of JOY IN GOD, reaching any.
-John Piper

I am zeroing in on: Luke 10:42 “but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

So, what is the good portion?
Many time in scripture, you find “portion” being associated with heritage, right, inheritance, or simply portion of land. Here are some examples where “portion” is used:

Psalm 119:57 The Lord is my portion; I promise to keep your words.
Psalm 142:5 I cry to you, O LORD; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”
Numbers 18:20 and the LORD said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the people of Israel.

Jesus is the “portion” of Jacob, he is our “portion.” Yet, we so easily miss him. The whole Bible is unified and points us to Jesus. My whole life is meant to be about giving God glory, enjoying Him, being satisfied in Him- true worship. Yet, my distractions are set up as idols replacing Jesus. My attention, my worship is distracted.

In John Calvin’s commentary on this- he said-“Martha, by distracting her attention, and undertaking more labor than was necessary, deprived herself of the advantage of Christ’s visit.”

Martha chose to deprive herself by fluttering around distracted with much toil, and Mary chose the good portion. The portion was Christ himself.

Reminder of Grace: As God reveals His truth to me, I am comforted by Christ’s provisional grace to move in my heart, as HE SEEKS worshippers. My heart is being transformed, by grace. God is my portion, my desire, my REWARD!

But I am starting to grasp that Margaret isn’t the answer. I am starting to understand what Jesus meant when he said, “Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken from her.”

Martha:
All of my Christian life, I have heard about the differences between Martha and Mary. Often it is suggested that Martha is the stressed out sister concerned about tasks. She can’t relax because “there is much to be done.” Martha works hard but seems to lack the peace and worship that goes with working heartily unto the Lord. When God himself is a guest in her home she can’t even handle the pressure to perform the tasks. It seems as though that is all she is concerned with–the preparations. Check her out:

Luke 10:38-42 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Martha is distracted.
Distracted. Hmmm. Who does this resonate with? Me! For sure. I often find myself BUSY with much serving. Distracted from what? Why was Martha, or any of us, distracted? We think that what we’re doing is most important: the tasks and preparations. Jesus told Martha that she was anxious and troubled about many things. What was she troubled by? I can answer for myself. When I am like Martha–when I am not worshipping in work but JUST working–I am busy, frustrated, fast, and resentful. I resent it if my husband is in the room and not helping out in some way. My heart is troubled by the tasks yet to be done. I’m ticked that I have to do it all. Maybe I’m trying to enjoy the preparations. Yet inside my heart I’m looking for any opportunity to complain that I am going it alone. How foolish and self-focused I can be.

Martha is a tattle teller.
My kids do this all the time. They get frustrated and sin in their anger with their siblings because some offense has been done. Most of the time the other sibling has not sinned against the tattler. The tattler just wants their way.

Can’t you just picture Martha quietly working, yet raging in her heart? Her rage got the best of her. She wanted Mary to help her! Mary just sat there and listened to Jesus. Martha may have started out with a pure heart. She may have had a desire to be hospitable to the Lord, make him food, serve him. So when did her desire to serve turn to sin?

Again, imagine yourself, imagine me. I am working in the kitchen. I start preparing, and my heart is delighted that I have all the ingredients to make a delicious dinner for my family. I am chopping and peaceful. My husband walks in, kisses my cheek. He goes about his business. My kids start getting loud in the living room. I stop chopping and attend to their arguments. Then the baby cries. She needs breastfed. The preparations for this amazing meal have to stop.

Enter: my depravity. Why can’t I just get that done? Why do these kids need me too? Oh, but I love my children… Why does it take so long to make a dinner! I wish I could just focus. I say a prayer while nursing my baby and another riot breaks out among the other kids. My husband deals with that one. Thank you! Ok, back to busy preparations. I turn on some music to lighten the attitude in the air, denying the war in my heart. The kids start dancing in the kitchen. I take a break to dance too. They see this opportunity to ask me for a snack. Can’t they see I am making an amazing dinner!? If I could just finish it, they would be happy! I would be happy! Why?

Question! What God am I serving?

The war that was raging in me suggests that the god I am serving is The God of Accomplishment and Tasks. I am worshipping the God of self–me.

Martha was worshipping herself, not Jesus.
At some point, Martha transferred her worship from God to Self. God was actually in HER LIVING ROOM. I can’t believe her! How could she do this??? She could’ve set at His feet too and worshipped him, yet the war in her heart raged. She thought serving busily was the right thing to do. She eventually resented her sister. This sin developed because Martha’s heart wasn’t worshipping in work.

As I just shared, I do the same thing. I tattle-tell in my heart. I complain to God for the people in the house that take me from the more important things, the tasks. Martha complained to the Lord in person. But I do it too–in my heart. I have the same divided heart, tattle-telling while thinking I am serving with a pure heart.

The easy and false remedy for this heart issue would be simple behavior change: abandon tasks and enjoy relationship. Just throw preparations and work out the door and “Let the Good Times Roll!” Chill out, play, enjoy one another, read all the time, listen to preaching, sing worship songs, and give affection to everyone all the time, without doing tasks. I don’t think that is what Jesus is saying.

Martha didn’t choose the good portion.
Jesus told Martha, “but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” He was saying Mary made a choice. This is huge.

It is common to make this about Mary’s personality, thinking of her as “relationship gal.” She sets at Jesus’ feet and she probably is the kind of gal that loves people well. It is easy to imagine the stereotype of a good time gal that works when it is necessary, but has a lot of friends and would choose going out on the town to party instead of getting five loads of laundry done and the floors mopped. We will talk about Mary later, but my point is that Martha could’ve made a choice. Do I make the right choices?

I am not promoting a legalistic work model for a woman, here. By confessing my own sin, I desire to provoke other hearts to see. To provoke hearts to see how double-minded we are when we work.

Martha had an opportunity to worship in her work. JESUS was actually in her house!!!! I so wish the story went down in Luke like this:

“Martha was busy with many preparations as she listened to the Lord. In her heart she worshipped him for His enabling her to enjoy her work as an act of service to him. Martha offered the fruit of her work in her heart and the Lord ate and was satisfied. Even as Mary sat at the Lord’s feet, Martha was not resentful but grateful to have this opportunity to serve the Lord Christ. She worshipped with her hands, with her heart.”

But alas, the Lord saw fit to have another story–the true story of Martha’s heart–her battle with work. It is my battle too. I long to worship Jesus in my work.

The Reminder of Grace is that my Lord is slow to anger and abounding in love for me. He knows my struggle. He knows my personality tendencies. He is loving me graciously in revealing to me how to work hard to His Glory and not to my own.