How to Focus in on Your Vision: "A story about Martha"

Luke 10:38-42

38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.

In Luke 10:38, Martha decided to invite Jesus and His disciples to her house. I’m sure it was to find comfort and to provide them with a home-cooked meal.

Martha wanted to host them, and as women, we take pride in our home. Therefore, it made sense that she began to prepare for them. She wanted this moment to be perfect.

However, she became stressed and needed help. At times like this we may have so many priories, that we lose focus. This story can shine a light on the many things that takes our focus.

Do you take on tasks you want others to equally care about?

Because Martha’s sister was with her, I'm sure she wanted Mary to help her host.

Just like her, she wanted Mary to see the many things that were required to prepare the house for Jesus and his disciples. Martha extended the invitation in hopes of her sister extending help. 

However, not everything has as much urgency as you think. What Martha saw as an urgent matter, Mary only saw as less important, at the time.

Sometimes in life, there are things that only you seem to care about. Don’t add stress on yourself because you assumed others would care in the same manner.

Do you look for justification to be right?

“Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?”

Martha knew, by wording the question as she did, that God would justify her and prove to her that she was right. She hoped he would then call Mary over to also be a good host by helping out. 

I remember a time I got into a heated discussion with my husband that led to him sternly asking, “Why are you trying to be right?” I didn’t have an answer for him, because the situation didn’t even call for a right or wrong outcome.  

Martha wanted to be right by proving that what she was doing made the most sense. But not everything that makes sense is right.

Why do certain things matter to you?

The root of perfection is pride. It’s a self-seeking emotion. You want your abilities to meet a certain requirement. But, why does it matter? Why did it matter so much to Martha to get everything done right away? 

There are voices in our heads that speak at moments of pressure. Voices made over-time from past experiences from our environment. Martha’s upbringing may have been the pressure she felt as a woman to host all these people.  

There must have been “a proper way” to do so. But WHY, why does it matter so much for us to have things right away, or a certain way? Why overtime has certain things mattered to you and Why can’t certain things wait?

Can you identify what is needed?

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. 

Martha Identified the value of her service as necessary and needed. However, Christ was able to see only one true necessity out of the many things she was trying to get done.

As women, we face the pressure of putting everyone first. We do this so much that we almost feel guilty when we choose to do something for ourselves. Martha missed an opportunity to learn from Christ. 

For a long time in my life, there has been this competition that everyone is a part of. I’m racing against everyone, but the crazy thing is, not everyone is racing against me.

Because of this pressure I put on myself, I find myself worrying about many things. But like Martha, I would lose an opportunity to learn from a powerful figure in my house because my lack to identify and focus on what was needed.

Don’t let pressure trick you from discerning a need from a want.

Do you ever see Christ as a choice?

“Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” 

Hearing Christ say this, I’m sure Martha hadn’t even considered Christ a choice in this situation.

She was probably thinking, “Christ I chose to invite you in,” but then failed to socialize, interact, or mingle with him.

On the other hand, Mary was at Jesus’ feet. She must have heard him talk about a variety of things, as Martha was stressing about preparing for him, not realizing He was already there. 

We can easily miss out on God-like moments. Though God is invited into our lives, we may still be trying to get things together before finally sitting down with Him. 

We may be trying to make things perfect so God will find them acceptable. That we may not realize that despite all of this, we are still not choosing Him. 

When you have a vision you will have to consider thinking of these matter physically and spiritually. Many things are vying for our attention, that we do everything that seems needed, all while straying further from the presence of God.

If, for a second, Martha had just left the preparation to a minimum, and instead rushed to be at Jesus’ feet, she would have focused her time in what was necessary.

Are you like Martha?