Luke 10:41
“And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:”
The phone call came, and my mother would answer it only to get off the phone and start giving orders to my siblings and I. Someone was on their way to the house and we had to make sure the house was in order. Though my mother kept a clean house, she was like most ladies who always think their house is never clean, and she wanted her house to look good for the company when they arrived.
Though Martha did not receive a phone call, she did receive word that Jesus was coming to her house. She immediately began to clean the living room and make sure the house was in order for the Saviour when He came. After cleaning the house, she started the meal that she was preparing for the Saviour. Yet, when Jesus came to the house, Mary wouldn’t help her with the kitchen duties; instead, she sat at the feet of Jesus and listened to His every word. When Martha had enough of her sister not helping, she tried to employ the Saviour to get her sister into the kitchen. To her surprise Jesus responded, “Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:” Jesus wanted her to understand that she was so concerned about things that she truly had no control over and that Mary was focusing on the One Who could help her with life.
Many Christians are like Mary and are troubled with the unnecessary things of life. What is interesting is that when you get troubled with the unnecessary things of life, you will also become agitated with others action or inaction, whichever you perceive. Too many Christians are troubled about the peripheral when they need to be concerned with the spiritual. There is certainly a place for Martha’s concerns, but our main concern should be the things of Christ.
Do you find yourself agitated with many people? Look at what you’re concerned with and see if you are troubled with the unnecessary. This world has a way of getting us off focus. It has a way of getting us to focus on ourselves and the affairs of the world, which only results in becoming troubled with the unnecessary and agitated with others.
The first thing you should consider from this story is the importance of spending time with Jesus. If you don’t have a daily time sitting at the feet of Jesus and gleaning from His Word every day, then you are going to find yourself becoming agitated with people throughout the day. The Word of God and prayer have a way of getting our focus off ourselves and onto the matters that are important to Christ.
Furthermore, stop worrying about the unnecessary things that quickly pass away. I’m not lessening the importance of doing your best in everything you do, but I’m wanting you to realize that many of the things we become agitated over are things that quickly pass away. Keeping your focus upon the eternal will keep you from damaging relationships with the unnecessary affairs of life.
Are you troubled with the unnecessary? Are you like Martha who was so troubled about the unnecessary that she forgot to enjoy the presence of Jesus? Don’t miss the greatest opportunity you have in life of spending time with Jesus because you are troubled with the unnecessary.