Devotionals for the Heart: How to serve God and spend time with Him

How to balance serving God and spending time with Him
A devotional by Leslie Bake

“As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”—Luke 10:38-42 (NLT)

Which is more important? Scripture memorization or observing the Sabbath? Fasting or prayer? Service or worship?

Trick questions! These are equally important disciplines. The better question becomes how one finds proper balance.

A study of Mary and Martha, found in the Gospel of Luke 10:38-42, may shed some light on this issue. In this Bible story, Jesus Christ and His disciples were passing through a village called Bethany where Martha and Mary lived. They were close friends of His who were preparing a fine dinner for Him. They loved Jesus and were eager to serve Him, but in different ways.

Hospitality was a social requirement in first century Jewish culture. It was shameful to turn anyone away from your door. Perhaps Martha’s family went above and beyond this requirement. Martha wanted to please and do the right thing. We can applaud her for that. She was detail-oriented, organized and efficient. Martha was a whirlwind. I can only imagine the sparkling silverware, glittering plates and glasses were set on a fine white linen tablecloth, expensive wine was chilling, and the appetizers were about to come out of the oven. But the vegetables weren’t going to chop themselves and the meat needed to be tenderized and marinated. Mary appeared to be doing nothing as she sat at Christ’s feet, listening to Him speak. To Martha, this seemed wrong because they were the hostesses and there was work to be done before they could get comfortable with their guest.

Did the preparations consume Martha? Did she lose sight of why she was doing them? Did she want Mary to be exactly like her? I wonder how Mary felt about Martha’s demand. Let’s read about it in Luke 10:40-42 (NLT): But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

How do you think Martha felt after Jesus gave her a diagnosis, rather than giving her what she wanted (maybe praise for working so diligently)? Do you think Jesus was criticizing Martha for her hard work? No. He wasn’t putting the sisters in opposition to each other. He was helping Martha adjust her priorities.

Jesus was also affirming Mary’s choice to sit at His feet and learn. He welcomed and encouraged everyone to listen and learn from his teachings, which included how to deal with worry and anxiety. Maybe He wanted Martha to sit down long enough to ponder Matthew 6:25-30 where we learn not to worry about what we will eat or drink but instead trust that God will always take care of our needs.

Contemplating and studying God’s Word (The Holy Bible) is never wrong. Showing hospitality is never wrong. There is a time and place for both. What’s wrong is judging someone for not responding exactly how you would. In a works-based, result-oriented modern day culture, shame is thrust upon those of us who dare to sit at the feet of Jesus, but when we do, we are rewarded with peace and joy. I do it in solitude to avoid distractions, and remember the words of my precious mother, who used to say, “I get my marching orders when I take the time to pray and ask God for direction.” Whether it’s five minutes or two hours, the discipline of sitting at Jesus’s feet in stillness is always beneficial.

Both personality types of Mary and Martha are needed for God’s kingdom work. The action-oriented people need appreciation for accomplishing practical work. The contemplative, worship-oriented people need appreciation for their wisdom acquired during hours of study and prayer.

Attention to detail is necessary, but it’s also easy to allow it to turn into worry. The next time you feel overwhelmed like Martha, take a five-minute pause. Remember that Jesus told us to not worry about anything. Sitting at His feet indicates humility and submission in faith to His loving authority.

Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father,

You are faithful and merciful. Forgive us when we lose sight of what’s important. Forgive us when we allow the distractions to consume us. Help us shift our focus to you. Give us a hunger to sit at your feet and learn. We thank You for patience and your unconditional love when we fail. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection #1: “First Things First” by Consumed by Fire. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #2: “The More I Seek You” by Kari Jobe. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Leslie Bake grew up Lutheran in Des Moines, graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with an undergraduate degree in English, and with a new understanding of what a relationship with the Lord could look like. 

She spent a few years reporting and editing in small town journalism and then began pursuing a master’s degree at Iowa State University in teaching English to speakers of other languages. Then she got married and later went through a divorce, which deepened her relationship with God and transformed her life.

Leslie taught English as a second language for three years at Kansas State University, then returned to writing and earned a master’s degree in creative non-fiction in Pittsburgh. Her memoir will eventually be published. It details the process of how the Lord created beauty from the ashes of divorce.

Pittsburgh is also where she met and married her second husband. They are now the parents of two wonderful children—one in fifth grade and one in first grade.

Leslie and her husband make their home in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Leslie has been a stay-at-home mom for the past 11 years and actively growing her writing career alongside her two growing children.

She now maintains a monthly blog of her own and is working toward expanding her writing ministry on Substack. Her heart’s deepest desire is to help others connect with God through writing.

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Connect with Leslie:
Website: lesliejoybake.com
Substack: lesliebake.substack.com
E-mail address: Leslie.bake@yahoo.com