Doing Over Being

Luke 10: ³⁸ Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. ³⁹ And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

⁴¹ And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. ⁴² But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

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Upon arrival I immediately went to work. I balanced the books, input all receipts by giver and drew up plans for a new parking lot. When I went home I wondered what the sermon was about. I had missed it because I was too busy to listen.

• There have been many times when I was extremely busy “doing” church.
• There have been many times when I thought “the more I serve the closer to GOD I will be.”
• Three have been many times when I believed that other people were lazy, selfish, ungiving people who needed to get off their butts and simply serve.

Martha wanted her house a certain way, and she was probably extra careful when a special guest was around. JESUS was that special guest and she had to have everything right. BUT HE said something strange to her. Mary, who was sitting at HIS feet worshiping, had chosen the right thing to do.

• JESUS wants me to stay away from burn out types of service.
• JESUS wants me to simply worship HIM so I can serve cheerfully.
• JESUS wants me to slow down so I can hear HIM and when HE fills me up, then I can go back to serving.

There is nothing worse than grumpy service. When I serve people, it is not just the act that counts, it is the heart. GOD wants me to serve with my heart rather than just with action. But sometimes my heart is filled with the wrong things which can taint my service and I get no reward from HIM for my grumpy service.

GOD wants me to ask for a clean heart first so I can serve others the way HE wants mt to. HE wants me to put HIM first, then HE will guide me to serve those who I feel do not deserve being served.

• Are you serving people in a burned out state?
• Do you judge others in what they are “not” doing?
• Can you ask GOD for a heart filled with grace so you can truly desire the best for even your enemies?
• Will you put “grace” over service today?