Occupied for Jesus

Another great Kindred Spirits email!!
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What follows is a response that was generated from the recent poem I posted on this group. I really liked what she wrote on Winsome Dove's blog. I'm not certain how some of this will appear on your email, especially if you aren't set up to receive HTML.

Occupied for Jesus

Martha, in the kitchen, serving with her hands,
Occupied for Jesus, with her pots and pans;
Loving Him, yet fevered, burdened to the brim,
Careful, troubled Martha, occupied for Him.
Mary on the footstool, eyes upon the Lord,
Occupied with Jesus, drinking in His Word.
This one thing is needful, all else strangely dim.
Loving, resting Mary, occupied with Him.
So may we, like Mary, choose the better part.
Drinking in His wisdom, strengthened by His grace,
Waiting for His summons, eyes upon His face.
When He comes we’re ready, spirit, will and nerve,
Mary’s heart to worship, Martha’s heart to serve.
This the right order, as our lamps we trim,
Occupied with Jesus, then occupied for Him.
Author Unknown


This little poem is inspired from the book of Luke, chapter 10.

"As Jesus and His disciples were on their way, He came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to Him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to Him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"

"Martha, Martha," The Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:38-42 NIV)

(For a little background, Martha and Mary are sisters of the reknowned Lazarus, who in the book of John, chapter 11, is raised from being dead for 4 days. Martha is the one that originally appeals to Jesus for help)

I was reminded about Martha and Mary the other day as my Pastor's wife scooted us all out to the living room after having dinner, leaving everything on the table, uncovered, unwashed and unkempt, to join us in watching a video. I was remembering Martha... I'm such a Martha... and how my pastor's wife is such a Mary. She merely flipped off the switch, put on a gentle smile and sat in perfect repose watching the video with us.

While I'm certain the world needs both Martha's and Mary's... it occurs to me that I need to embrace the teachings of this simple bible lesson a bit more than I have been. My home being a clean vessel is important but it is not nearly so important as loving the Lord, hearing and understanding Him in quiet stillness.

Here's a little summation chart I found that really tells it like it is:

MARTHA
MARY
LUKE 10:38-42
LUKE 10:38-42
Martha was SERVING
Mary was SITTING
Martha was WORRYING
Mary was WORSHIPPING
Martha was HURRYING
Mary was HEARING
Martha was busy with the WORK
Mary was attentive to the WORD
Martha was troubled about many things
Mary was concerned about one thing
Martha was trying to UNDERTAKE
Mary was trying to UNDERSTAND
Martha was OVER-OCCUPIED
Mary was OCCUPIED WITH CHRIST
Martha was LABORING
Mary was LEARNING and LOVING
Martha was ENERGETIC
Mary was ENJOYING the Lord
Martha was BUSY and BOTHERED
Mary was BLESSED

Martha was over-occupied with much serving. How busy she was in her service for the Lord, running around and doing this and that!

Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, listening to Him speak. She quietly remained there seeking to become better acquainted with her Guest, building a sweet relationship and fellowship with Him.
Martha, however, had no time for this. Wouldn't the Lord be so pleased with all of her activity? "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" (Luke 10:41-42).

I hope you have been blessed by this as much as I have. May God give us Mary's heart to adore; Martha's hands to serve.
Winsome Dove
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning." (John 1:1-3)



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...teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." Titus 2:4,5