Making Room for Jesus in a Full Season
I sat in my car, overwhelmed and emotional. I had spent the whole morning baking, cleaning, and doing laundry; I was exhausted. All I wanted was to take a nap, but I couldn’t because I had a lunch date with a friend.
December can feel overwhelming, can’t it?
When our schedules fill up with all the festivities, it’s easy to overlook spending time with Jesus. Instead of feeling peace, love, and joy, we experience overwhelm, bitterness, and anxiety.
Luke 10:38-42 introduces us to two women—Martha and Mary. These hospitable sisters always welcomed Jesus into their home whenever He visited. Martha had a gift for hosting. She enjoyed keeping her home tidy and organized. She had a strong desire to do everything just right, and she expected others to share her priorities.
Then there was her sister. Mary was content to sit at Jesus’ feet, listening to Him teach. I often picture Mary, wide-eyed and captivated by His stories. How amazing would it be to sit with Jesus and hear Him teach about how He made a blind man see, raised people from the dead, and cast demons out of possessed individuals?
Mary and Martha both loved Jesus deeply. They served Him but expressed their love differently. Martha was busy serving Jesus, while Mary chose to sit with Jesus.
While we don’t know exactly what Jesus taught Mary that day, we do know that she placed herself near to Him. I believe she experienced Jesus that day as her Helper, Comforter, and Peace. We can all experience Jesus in the same way when we take the time to sit with Him and sit in His presence.
Are you so busy this Christmas season doing things for Jesus that you’re not spending time with Him?
When Martha went to the Lord and shared her frustration with Him, He responded by saying, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed – or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Jesus didn’t criticize Martha for being concerned about household chores; He invited her to reassess her priorities. Perhaps He is asking you and me to do the same. God doesn’t want us so caught up in serving Him that we forget to spend time with Him.
I often wonder if Martha chose to work so tirelessly because she was afraid to sit down and confront her feelings with Jesus. It might have seemed safer to concentrate on the details, rather than slowing down to sit with Jesus in the discomfort of her pain. Matthew 11:28 invites all of us who are weary and burdened to find rest in Jesus Himself.
We can seek Jesus through prayer, reading our Bibles, and spending time with others in community. We can sing and listen to songs that praise God and thank Him for all the good gifts He provides each day. We can share the good news of Jesus with others and abide in Him (John 15:4).
We will find Jesus when we seek Him with all our heart (Jeremiah 29:13).
If this encouraged you, check out more articles from our Flatirons Spiritual Formation Team for practical tools, encouragement, and ways to grow in your faith and leadership. Click here.