The Gospel Encounters – Trap of Busyness
Reference: Luke 10:38-42.

Mary & Martha
Luke 10 was about two sisters, Mary and Martha responding to Jesus. Many have learned to be more like Martha than Mary. Martha was distracted by her busyness to provide because of her love for Jesus and her kindness. Martha was concerned over many things but Mary chose the one right thing. She chose to sit at the feet of Jesus to hear. She chose the only one thing needed to enter into the presence of God. Psalm 27:4. One thing I ask is to enter into the presence of the Lord.

Mary’s choice
An issue with many busy people is they need to learn how to do what Mary did. Mary sat at the feet of Jesus to listen, she cried to Jesus over her brother’s death and she anointed Jesus’ feet with perfume in devotion. She gave Jesus her full attention without distraction.

Martha’s choice
It is one thing to be busy but another to be trapped in the fury of activities. Being busy and distracted we lose interacting and communing with God. We can be distracted from God’s presence due to our busyness in our preparation of serving. Many of us gave attention to God in different ways. One is suffering in ministering to the Lord. Martha’s busyness is common to many. They could hardly give time to spend time with God. We must understand that it is what we do with Jesus that is more important that what we do for Jesus.

God conscious
In John 15:5 Jesus said that apart from Him you can do nothing. We need to practice the presence of God in our lives. That is being God conscious in everything we do and learning to be quiet and not too busy to listen in the presence of God.

Martha was too busy preparing and serving and she complained. We can learn much from Martha’s example.

Serve with Jesus
Few things are as damaging to Christian life as trying to work for Jesus instead of with Jesus. Without soaking ourselves in God, we will be serving by our strength and will fail.

Urgent and unimportant
We get ourselves caught with the urgent things but not the important things. Busyness takes us away from the importance of spending time meditating on God word, and having communion in prayer. Are we setting time from our busy schedule to do the one important thing? That is soaking the presence of God.

Joy in serving
Busyness becomes a joy killer. By busy preparing to serve it causes us to become anxious. Anxiety causes us to be easily irritated and critical. When we start criticising others, it is time for us to take time to examine ourselves. Busyness causes anxiety, taking away the joy of serving God.

Focus on self and we become anxious, hurt by how people look at us. Our ego gets hurt and we become more disagreeable that agreeable. Focus on God because God is more please in our quiet attention to Him than in busyness to serve Him.

Reflection
We need to learn how to serve with the work of Martha and the heart of Mary. We need to set time for solitude with God and experience the joy of serving without anxiety. We need to be God conscious and not be trapped in the state of busyness.

- Rev Vincent Goh