#267 The Answer to Overwhelm
Luke 10.41-42
Especially in this holiday season, we can get overwhelmed as we try to cram more activity into already full days. This is also true for me at work as we approach the end of the year and the beginning of the next, especially with the knowledge that my husband and I will be out of town for 2 weeks to visit my family. It is easy to lose composure and freak out! And so when the account or Martha and Mary came up in a recent Bible study, the lesson really hit home.
Jesus was traveling around, and he came to a village and was welcomed by Martha into her home. While Martha worked on preparations for the meal, Mary, her younger sister, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to the words of Jesus. “Martha was distracted with all her preparations”. She came up to Jesus and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.”
Jesus answered and said, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”
The word distracted, Strong’s #4049 means “to drag all around.” Vines comments: being over occupied, to be cumbered. The point is Martha was overwhelmed.
It is interesting to observe the mindset of Martha under stress. She has a tendency to ‘over-take’ responsibility, which can lead to critical judgment, resentment and a form of feeling a martyr (in the destructive sense of feeling like a victim). I can relate to this pattern!
When we get overwhelmed and testy we can be critical of those around us, and we can become critical of our Lord also. “Lord, don’t you care that I am in this overwhelming circumstance?” The word care (Strong’s #3199) means to be of interest. It is used in Mark 4:38, when Jesus was asleep in the boat in the midst of the storm. His disciples panicked and anxiously woke him up with the words “Is it no concern to you that we perish?” It is also used in John 10:13 where Jesus contrasts his attitude as the shepherd when faced with a wolf, with the lack of commitment of a hired hand . “A hired servant flees, because he is a hired servant and is not himself concerned about the sheep.” OF COARSE Jesus cares! Sometimes in our state of overwhelm we may see him as more a hired hand than the Shepherd who proved his love by giving his life for us as his sheep.
The answer to overwhelm:
Listen to Jesus identify our state of mind. I can hear Jesus speaking to me with his tender yet urgent words. “Joy, Joy, you are careful (#3309: anxious) and troubled (#5182: to make turbid {ie disordered, turmoil, stirred up, muddled) about many things.” We need to be heard and understood, and he does both!
Listen to the tone and intent of his words. These are not scolding words. These are words of love and concern. Jesus is teaching us to calmly observe our frame of mind, and then to make a shift.
Heed his wise counsel: “there is need but of one; Mary chose the good part which shall not be taken from her.” The one thing that will help us when we get ‘muddled’ is to do what Mary did. We need to sit at Jesus feet.
My frustrated, confused friend, are you at that corner of life where you don’t know where to turn?... for goodness sakes, sit at his feet. It will help you with your house work, it will make you a better dishwasher, you’ll sweep the floors cleaner, and you can dig a ditch better. You can mow the lawn better, you can study your lesson better, you can work at the office better, you can drive your car better. You can do everything better, if you just take a little time to sit at Jesus feet. J Vernon McGee
We sit at his feet to LISTEN, which means we shut off the internal chatter-box. We bring to him our question, our feelings, our dilemma, and then we listen for his answer through the Word and prayer. This is the same principle as is stated in Psalm 40:10 “Cease striving [be still] and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
The beneficial part that Mary chose, which was to sit at Jesus feet, would not be taken from her. Jesus had no intention of taking that blessing from Mary. Instead he invited Martha to share in that blessing.
When we choose to sit at Jesus feet, the joy and peace we receive cannot be taken from us if we stay rooted in his presence. “You too now have sorrow; but I will see you again, [through the indwelling of the holy spirit John 16:13-15] and your heart will rejoice, and no one takes your joy away from you.” John 16:22
Luke 10.41-42
Especially in this holiday season, we can get overwhelmed as we try to cram more activity into already full days. This is also true for me at work as we approach the end of the year and the beginning of the next, especially with the knowledge that my husband and I will be out of town for 2 weeks to visit my family. It is easy to lose composure and freak out! And so when the account or Martha and Mary came up in a recent Bible study, the lesson really hit home.
Jesus was traveling around, and he came to a village and was welcomed by Martha into her home. While Martha worked on preparations for the meal, Mary, her younger sister, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to the words of Jesus. “Martha was distracted with all her preparations”. She came up to Jesus and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.”
Jesus answered and said, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”
The word distracted, Strong’s #4049 means “to drag all around.” Vines comments: being over occupied, to be cumbered. The point is Martha was overwhelmed.
It is interesting to observe the mindset of Martha under stress. She has a tendency to ‘over-take’ responsibility, which can lead to critical judgment, resentment and a form of feeling a martyr (in the destructive sense of feeling like a victim). I can relate to this pattern!
When we get overwhelmed and testy we can be critical of those around us, and we can become critical of our Lord also. “Lord, don’t you care that I am in this overwhelming circumstance?” The word care (Strong’s #3199) means to be of interest. It is used in Mark 4:38, when Jesus was asleep in the boat in the midst of the storm. His disciples panicked and anxiously woke him up with the words “Is it no concern to you that we perish?” It is also used in John 10:13 where Jesus contrasts his attitude as the shepherd when faced with a wolf, with the lack of commitment of a hired hand . “A hired servant flees, because he is a hired servant and is not himself concerned about the sheep.” OF COARSE Jesus cares! Sometimes in our state of overwhelm we may see him as more a hired hand than the Shepherd who proved his love by giving his life for us as his sheep.
The answer to overwhelm:
Listen to Jesus identify our state of mind. I can hear Jesus speaking to me with his tender yet urgent words. “Joy, Joy, you are careful (#3309: anxious) and troubled (#5182: to make turbid {ie disordered, turmoil, stirred up, muddled) about many things.” We need to be heard and understood, and he does both!
Listen to the tone and intent of his words. These are not scolding words. These are words of love and concern. Jesus is teaching us to calmly observe our frame of mind, and then to make a shift.
Heed his wise counsel: “there is need but of one; Mary chose the good part which shall not be taken from her.” The one thing that will help us when we get ‘muddled’ is to do what Mary did. We need to sit at Jesus feet.
My frustrated, confused friend, are you at that corner of life where you don’t know where to turn?... for goodness sakes, sit at his feet. It will help you with your house work, it will make you a better dishwasher, you’ll sweep the floors cleaner, and you can dig a ditch better. You can mow the lawn better, you can study your lesson better, you can work at the office better, you can drive your car better. You can do everything better, if you just take a little time to sit at Jesus feet. J Vernon McGee
We sit at his feet to LISTEN, which means we shut off the internal chatter-box. We bring to him our question, our feelings, our dilemma, and then we listen for his answer through the Word and prayer. This is the same principle as is stated in Psalm 40:10 “Cease striving [be still] and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
The beneficial part that Mary chose, which was to sit at Jesus feet, would not be taken from her. Jesus had no intention of taking that blessing from Mary. Instead he invited Martha to share in that blessing.
When we choose to sit at Jesus feet, the joy and peace we receive cannot be taken from us if we stay rooted in his presence. “You too now have sorrow; but I will see you again, [through the indwelling of the holy spirit John 16:13-15] and your heart will rejoice, and no one takes your joy away from you.” John 16:22
