saltandlight

I don’t have a lot of talent.  I don’t sing or play any instruments.  But, one thing that I feel the Lord has blessed me with is a servant’s heart.  I love to serve.  If I see a need, I try to do my best to help with it.  Which, y’all know in a church, that can keep you busy.

Y’all are probably familiar with the story in Luke 10:39-41 about Martha and her sister Mary –

“Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.  But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:  But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

Basically Martha is running doing all of the work and Mary is just sitting at the feet of Jesus.  When Martha complains to Jesus that Mary is not helping her, Jesus lovingly corrects Martha and says “Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

I never really thought of myself as a Martha.  Usually when I would hear that story it would be related in some way to women that are obsessed with keeping a really clean house and I just couldn’t relate to that.  My house is usually a mess.  So, I never thought that I was a Martha.  Until I started working on a message as part of my testimony to give at a church ladies’ meeting.  The Lord showed me that there is more than one way to be a Martha.

A couple of years ago I started realizing that I didn’t have a very good spirit.  You know how you get in a bad mood and just don’t even like yourself?  I know I’m not the only one that has been there!  Well, I was staying in a bad mood a lot.  And I was feeling a lot of anxiety. Sometimes I would make a comment and think, “did I really just say that?” I was allowing the negativity of the world to dictate my attitude.  I knew I had to do something about this.

I started doing a lot more praying and Bible study.  I started spending some time at the feet of Jesus (choosing that good part).  And I started realizing how much bitterness I was holding on to.  See, I got saved at age 15.  I became a Pastor’s wife at age 27.  But, I never really learned the power of time spent alone with God, praying and reading His word.  I had heard preachers say it over the years and I knew it was important.  I would always feel convicted.  But, I didn’t realize how powerful it was.  How sweet and precious that time with Him is.

I got busy as a young Mom and Pastor’s wife.  Serving God, teaching Sunday School, heading up women’s meetings, teaching music in Awana. Just about any type of ministry going on at church, I’m there.  I got so busy being a Mom and wife, working full time and “serving God”, that I started leaving Him out!   I would study my lessons, and say quick prayers but I was not spending a lot of time alone with God.  I was a Martha.  Poor Martha gets a bad reputation, doesn’t she?  She complains one time and now we all use her as an example of what not to do! But I think that was the point of the passage, to show us where our priorities should be.

So, I started spending some time alone with Jesus.  Studying the Bible more, reading devotions.  Spending some good quiet time with just me and God.  It was so refreshing.

Well, something really cool started happening.  I started seeing answers to prayers. I started feeling more peace.  The Devil started losing his grip.   Satan can work in churches and in the hearts of Christians just as much if not more than the world.  And if we think that we can beat him on our own, we are sadly mistaken.  We may try, but we will fail.

Life is unpredictable.  We never know what may come our way, what kind of trial that we are going to have to face.  The only way that we can beat the devil, is by spending time with the one that will fight our battles for us.  And He is always ready, waiting and willing to guide us, all we have to do is come to Him.