The woman is busy, moving at breakneck speed and always on the go. Busyness is her life.
Today she has company coming and there’s so much to do. Martha’s story is my story and maybe yours too.
Christ is on his way to her home for dinner and she wants everything to be perfect.
Perfectionism and busyness tag team to rob us of precious opportunities, lessons and blessings God longs to give us.
There the Prince of Peace sits watching her quietly, waiting and wondering if He will get the opportunity to share the love, joy and life He brought for her but sadly never gets the chance.
Martha’s so busy she doesn’t recognize the gift she’s just been handed.
Christ “God made manifest in the flesh” (I Tim 3:16) is sitting on her sofa. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime, a scenario most can’t even imagine.
And yet it is played out in our lives every day.
From the moment we wake up until we return to bed at night our Omnipresent God is there.
He gently nudges us awake and sees us slowly amble to the kitchen for morning coffee and joins us at the table as we turn on our cell phones or open the daily paper and He waits.
He joins us for our daily commute to work or as we begin our housework, takes a corner seat and He waits as we go about our errands and tasks.
Leaving the office He sits in the passenger seat in the car as we make our way home and He waits.
Finding a spot in an easy chair He quietly sits as we watch our favorite tv shows and He waits.
Then exhausted we head for bed. He is there protecting us while we slumber keeping us from all harm (Ps 4:8) and He waits.
He had so much to tell us today but didn’t get the chance and so He waits.
Martha loved her Lord there is no doubt about it but like many of us busyness had robbed her of the ability to see what was truly important. Love was standing before her and she missed it.
David in his darkest hour went before the Lord where he found encouragement and strength(1 Sam 30:6) And we can too anytime, day or night.
God doesn’t condemn us when we fail to create time for Him because that’s not His nature. (Rom 8:1) He doesn’t get offended, mad or angry. He just waits.
What kind of love is this that values us enough to wait patiently day after day?
Every successful relationship must be built on continuing communication.
Going days without talking soon becomes never talking and no relationship can thrive under those conditions. Without communication, we will share space with someone but not intimacy, not a relationship.
And as with God, our relationship requires ongoing fellowship to flourish.
I wonder if later Martha looked back with sadness on that day Christ came into her presence realizing too late the magnitude of the moment she missed.
I like to think this was the day she learned what was important and what wasn’t.
I believe God doesn’t have a problem whatsoever with us enjoying downtime, a little tv or time on social media.
But when those activities become thieves that rob of us time to visit with Him, does it hurt Him?
Have you ever had someone sitting across from you yet they spend the entire time scrolling or texting? I have. Over time I just stopped attempting to engage them and moved on.
I have also been this person and regret the moments I missed because my head was buried in a screen. To the friends across the table who sat and waited while I scrolled I apologize.
Thankfully our Father is much more patient and never stops trying to engage us. He simply waits.
Today He’s waiting to share life-changing moments, grand adventures, unimaginable opportunities and beneficial and profitable ideas with us.
And, He’s ready to finally free us from the thief of busyness if we will we let Him?
He is waiting on the other side of our busyness.
Sandra Hubbard
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