Bringing my 'to do' list to Jesus

I have a lot in common with my hamsters.  

I do a lot of running around, but I don't always get anywhere. 

I can sometimes feel like if I'm not exhausted then I've not been trying hard enough. Maybe some of you can relate. 

This morning I felt draw to the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42.  I tried to read it slowly and see what God wanted to show me. 

It says 'a woman named Martha opened her home to [Jesus]' in verse 38.

This reminded me of the teaching Jesus gave on the sheep and goats in Matthew 25:35 where he describes the evidence of those who are true believers: 'you gave me something to eat . . . and you gave me something to drink . . .  and you invited me in'. 

Martha's heart was to love and serve Jesus. She was truly His.

Her sister Mary also truly loved Jesus and was His.  Her love for Him expressed itself in sitting at the Lord's feet listening to what he said (verse 39). She just wanted to be with Him, to worship Him, to drink in His words.  Her devotion was expressed by simply spending time with Him - giving Him her undivided attention.  

Martha's love for Jesus was expressed in service.  Verse 40 says that the preparations 'had to be made'. It was important and necessary to feed Jesus and his disciples. It was a valid way to express love for Him. It was good. 

What was wrong was her resentful attitude that Mary wasn't helping, and her sense of superiority about her own choices.  She felt that she was doing what was right by rushing around busily, whilst Mary was 'lazy'. Martha was judgemental of her sister.  

She also tried to publicly shame her. Rather than quietly whispering to Mary, "I could really do with a hand," she went to Jesus, who would have had everyone's attention.  Everyone would listen to His response and be guided by how He responded. 

Martha wanted to be publicly validated for what she was doing and her sister publicly reprimanded and shown to be 'lesser' or inferior.

Jesus saw straight into Martha's heart. He said, "You are worried and upset about many things."  He could see that this wasn't the only thing Martha was worked up about; it was one of many. Perhaps Mary not helping at this point was the final straw; the final irritation that released a whole dam of frustration and revealed the true state of her heart.

Martha was not casting her cares on Jesus here. She was asking him to validate her cares; to say she was right to be worked up about this situation. 

How humbling. Because Martha sought Jesus' approval publicly, she had to endure his rebuke publicly. 

Jesus starts by saying her name twice.  

Oh the love He expressed as He said her name. 

Oh the longing in His heart for her to be set free from her wrong attitude. 

Oh the kindness and gentleness with which He told her that He knew. He saw. He understood the 'many things' in her heart that were worrying and upsetting her.  

Oh the grace with which He pointed her to what her soul really needed.

There were so many things that needed to be done.  So many things other people were doing or not doing that were stealing Martha's peace.  Jesus cut through her priority list, her judgment call as to what was really needed.   

The bottom line is, no matter what is on your 'to do' list today, only one thing is really needed. 

That is to sit at Jesus' feet. Not performing for Him. Not achieving a spiritual 'to do' list of reading a number of chapters or going through a prayer list. 

Still yourself enough to hear Him speak.  

Yes, read His Word - but only to listen to His heart speak to Yours.  Not to earn favour or to feel pride in your accomplishment 'for Him'.  

Yes, pray - but not 'empty words' of duty; but truly, honestly opening up the mess of your heart to Him.  Because He knows it all already anyway!!

How many days I rush into my 'to do' lists, telling God I'll squeeze Him in when everything else is done.  But it never is. 

There are always more jobs to do. 

This is what I am starting to learn to do:

Lay your 'to do' list at His feet first thing in the morning. 

Ask Him what's on His list for the day.  

Here's His first answer:

'Spend some time with me.'

'Listen, listen to Me that your soul may live' (Isaiah 55:3)

'Receive my love'

Sometimes He shows me I have things on my list that don't need to be there.

Sometimes He prompts me about things I wasn't planning to do.

When I get that right - spending time with Him - first thing, it's amazing how I manage to accomplish things that matter with the rest of my day too. 

Thank you Jesus for what you have shown me in your word. Help me and my friends make this our habit - to lay our 'to do' lists before You each day and spend a few moments sitting at Your feet. Amen.

 

God's laundry basket

 

"Seek the Lord while he may be found;  call on him while he is near.  Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts.   Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon."  (Isaiah 55: 7-8)

I used to read this with fear.  Maybe it was already too late.  Maybe I've already messed up too many times.  I've read too much of the Bible to be allowed to get away with my poor behaviour.   

But now I read it in a different light.  'While he may be found' is any time that we are alive.  This is the opportunity we all have in our lives.  It is a promise - when we repent and turn to the Lord, he WILL have mercy on us.  He will FREELY pardon.  

Repentance looks like forsaking the things we've been doing.  It's not just saying sorry and carrying on.  However, when we do turn to Him in repentance, the promise of pardon is certain.

God is looking for us to turn to him because He wants and wills to have mercy and to pardon us. 

It got me thinking about my laundry basket.  My kids clothes get dirty.  I expect them to get dirty.  It's part of living and doing things.  I don't get mad at them for having dirty clothes (unless they spill something down their front just as we are about to walk out the door!).  

What does get me annoyed is when they don't put their dirty clothes in the wash but just let them build up in their rooms in heaps on the floor. 

My job as mum is to wash the dirty clothes. I go to the laundry basket, take the clothes from there, wash them, dry them, sort them and return them to the right rooms.  Everyone else's job is simply to get their dirty clothes to the wash basket.  Not much to ask you might think!  But somehow they find it surprisingly difficult.

It struck me that we're a bit like that with sin.  God is saying, "Bring your sin to me.  I will freely pardon.  I will wash them so that they are as white as snow."  But we let the sins heap up in our lives.  We kick them in a heap behind the door and try to forget about them.

God is offering us pure white shining robes of righteousness, bought at the price of Jesus' blood.  Don't walk around in dirty clothes. Don't let sin pile up in your heart.   Bring it to Him.  He'll do the rest. 

Who are you stuck behind?

 

Yesterday morning my daughter Charlotte was ready for school early.  

"Wow! How did that happen?" I asked.

"It's because of Peter!" she replied.

Peter had bounced out of bed on the dot of 7am.  He'd efficiently done all his jobs and helped the rest of us with ours and got himself ready for school in super quick time.  His motivation?  He wanted to look something up about a computer game and knew he would only be allowed to do it if he was all ready for school with enough time to spare.  And because he was up and being efficient, somehow it rubbed off on the rest of us and we all found ourselves ready early too!  

It reminded me of a joke where a man arrived to work late and his boss asked, "Why are you late?"  He replied, "Sorry, I was stuck behind a tractor."  The next day he arrived to work early and his boss asked, "How come you are early today?"  The reply came, "Oh, this morning I was stuck behind a Ferrari!"

I thought about how birds fly in a V formation because it's easier to fly just behind another bird.  My husband tells me cyclists do it too - cycling in the other person's slipstream makes your ride easier. 

This got me thinking about how we influence one another and also how we are influenced by the things we watch, read and listen to.   I heard a preacher a number of years ago talking about how each film you watch 'takes you on a journey' that influences and colours you - just a little, but all those 'just a little's add up over time.  

So I reflected - who am I 'stuck behind'?   And what is it like for others who are 'stuck behind' me?

It made me want to be more intentional about what I let influence me.  

There are so many ways to do this. When I want to be inspired and strengthened in my spiritual walk, I read the blogs of people who point me in the right direction.  I love biographies and autobiographies that flesh out what following Christ looked like for that person.  You can use apps and social media to keep bringing things in front of you that point you back to God.  There are YouTube videos, podcasts, radio and TV stations and no end of other ways to connect with Christian encouragement - especially now all our churches have begun putting their services online. In the past year I've found an app that has really helped me listen to scripture too.  Nothing like hearing the message straight from God Himself!

So what could be a model, example, encouragement, inspiration to you today in your spiritual walk?  

And maybe you could share something - in a message, in person, on social media?  - that might encourage someone else?  If you find something encouraging or helpful, chances are someone else will too.  

'Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today.' Hebrews 3:13

Let's help one another fly further and higher!