Women's Corner         

 

                                                               

             Article 18
 

    

       Barren Busyness

 

Luke 10:38

Martha’s name means “Lady” and that was exactly what she was.  All Lady! 
She was always so busy.  We are going to hear her story…step inside her mind
for a little while and compare her life to ours. 

As we begin, Martha is preparing a meal for Jesus and his followers. 

Let me see now.  How many will there be this time?  Fifty, eighty, or maybe
even a hundred? 
The Lord always had a crowd around him.  Even when it was only Jesus and his disciples she had
plenty to cook for and serve.  They were always laughing and listening to the Master talk.

Well, at least Mary stuck around long enough to help with the housework
before taking off. Do we have enough food to feed them?  We’ll serve them
in the yard so there will be plenty of room for them to eat. 

Where is Mary?  That girl is always wandering off and thinking about
something.  It seems her head is in a cloud constantly.  But she is such a
lovely girl.  She has a wonderful sense of humor and she is always in a good mood…
even when I scold her for not helping me around the house. 
We always have to have this place clean because we never know when our brother
Lazarus is going to bring home someone that needs a meal, a bed
or just some company.  He has such a big heart. He’s in Jerusalem right
now waiting for Jesus and his followers and anyone that might want to
wander home with him.  If he’s not bringing people home, he’s bringing
home stray animals.  But, of course, he always finds a home for them. I
guess I’m the only one with common sense around here.  I think that’s
because I grew up quicker than they did.  Someone has to make sure
everything gets done right!  Well, anyway, I need some corn to grind for
bread and some to boil for eating.  Where is Lazarus?  Oh yes, I forgot. 
He went to Jerusalem, but where’s Mary?  I guess I’ll have to get it myself! 
Why is no one ever around when I need them? Bethany is a busy town today. 
There’s a festival going on right now in Jerusalem.  Many visitors stop here
in Bethany and Lazarus brings honored guests to our home often.  Maybe
he is proud of the way I make sure they are fed and I send them on their
way full and happy.  Jehovah always provides us with plenty of food to feed
 these people.  We are a very blessed family.  When our father passed on, he
 had provided well for us and left us with a great inheritance.   That’s
where Lazarus gets his heart from.  Always doing something for someone. 
It makes you wonder how they ever got any work done around here.  Our
Mother never complained though.  She was such a Godly woman. How I
wish I had her patience. 

But Jesus: that is another story all together.  How can I serve such a man? 
I feel his greatness and yet he walks among us as though he knows what
we feel and what we’re thinking.  He is called a Rabbi.  The news has
spread all around about everything he is doing.  He has healed the sick and
lepers, given sight to the blind and raised the dead.  And yet, he laughs
with us and treats us just like we are the same as he is.  I wonder if he will
like what I am preparing for him and the men to eat?  Will he be able to sit
here on this chair or should I get the other one from my bedroom? He’s a
friend to us but he has been doing so many great things for his people that
I must do something to try to repay what he has done for us.  Oh well, I
must get to my work. No one is here yet to help. 

“There you are, Mary.  Where on earth have you been?  You know we have
guests coming any time.” 

(Mary) “Oh Martha, I have been preparing myself for the Lord.  He’s a great
man and I don’t want him to find me weak in my faith or…

(Martha) “Never mind about that right now, Mary.  You can work on your
spiritual self while you go and fetch me some corn to grind and boil.  And while
you are out there, please get some potatoes, too.   Thanks, dear!”

Well now, what was I doing?  Oh no, there’s the men, and I’m not finished cooking. 
I’ll never get this food prepared in time!  What will they think of
us?  Our reputation will be ruined and none of the great officials will want
to stop by our home again. What is Mary doing?  That girl is sitting at
Jesus’ feet.  Now I am upset!  She knows that we women are not to be
hanging around the men while they talk.  She’s not fulfilling her duty as a woman. 
We are to serve the Master.  I must tell her, but how?  She’s sitting
at his feet.  I know, I will have the Master tell her.  He knows that we
women are to do what we are to do!  That is to serve the men.

“Lord doest thou not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Bid her
therefore that she help me.”

Oh my goodness that sure came out wrong.   I did not mean to sound so
cross with the Lord.  But what is it he is telling me? 

“Martha, Martha thou are careful and troubled about many things:  But one thing
is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away
from her”. 

Mary is doing the right thing?  She has chosen the needful thing and
I was too busy caring for things around the Lord to care about worshipping
him. 

Barren Busyness

Martha had been making things ready for him instead of sitting at his feet and
letting him get things ready for her.  Do you find yourself this way?  God wants
us to pray but He also wants us to wait on his answer.  Not many of us really do
that.  Have you prayed until you got your answer before getting up or letting up
on that prayer?  Or, are we too busy to wait?  That is why we think we have
our answer.  We don’t wait upon the Lord.  He will talk to you if you wait long
enough.  Just think of your average day right now. If you work, you have a
certain time to get ready and get to work.  After you get there, you have a
certain time to get the work done, a certain time to eat and get back to work
and then a time to get home. After you’re home, you have to prepare an evening
meal for your family, throw in a load of clothes and put them away.  Then, if you
have children, you have to help with homework, or it’s off to watch TV until you
nod off to sleep and have to get up and go to bed.  Then, it’s a quick “Now I lay
me down to sleep” prayer.  

If you don’t work, what is your day like?  Up early to get the ones off  that do
work or go to school.  If you have children, your day is planned around them.
You prepare supper and sit with your spouse and children…help them with
homework and then TV and bed.  Where is your prayer time? 

If you live alone, you spend time making the day pass faster by doing things.  If
you spend it with the Lord, it goes faster. Time flies when you’re having fun! You
can even do work for the Lord that is not in His will.  Is that something that stuns
you? 
We line up the day with things we want to do without asking Him what
He wants
us to do

We must be a good wife, mother, girlfriend or just a friend to do what He wants
us to do. 
We must put Him first, then the family and then the job if we have one.  Make
time for Him. 

Try to change your day and see how it goes.  Get up earlier and read His word
or pray.  You are to keep your home going.  But keep your busyness going for
God, not yourself.  I’ve had people tell me that they have not had time to study
God’s word.  Yet, when you call them they’re sitting around. I’ve had them tell
me that they we’re too sick to study.  That is still barren busyness. You will
answer to God for this.  God always uses people to warn us of our mistakes. 
Look at Martha
. Her busyness should teach us for this day too.  Start now to be
busy for the Lord.

If this has touched you in any way, you must talk to God and set your mind not to
be barren. Be busy in His kingdom.  We may think everyone here is OK but you
can read the scriptures where Jesus even told Peter, “Get behind me, Satan”. 
He was not calling him Satan but that Satan was speaking thru him.  Would Jesus
say that to us if He were here right now?  Would we complain to Him of our
finances, our sickness and our troubles?  What would He say?  We use these
things to keep us from serving Him and we will stand before Him one day.  What
will we say then? Just like Mary, we need to be doing the “needful things”.  What
is that in your life? What have you been seeking?

The Lord is soon coming…better stop the Barren Busyness.

Until next time…may God bless you and yours,

Julie

teamministry@northstate.net

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Until next time; May the Lord smile upon you!  May the Lord bless you!
 
Love & Prayers,
 
Julie Watts